Author(s)

Yitong Wang ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Shenzhen Middle School, Shenzhen, 518024, China

Corresponding Author

Yitong Wang

ABSTRACT

The current study aimed to examine how different aspects of the network environments—specifically online shopping, social media, online search, and AI tool use—affect the mental health and social behaviors of Chinese teenagers. 230 teenagers participated in this study and they completed a series of questions in a self-reported survey. The questions included three dimensions: digital engagement (e.g., use of social media, AI tools, and online shopping), mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, self-esteem), and social behaviors (e.g., empathy, cooperation, adaptability). Drawing upon correlation and regression analysis, the study found that digital engagement had weak or inconsistent correlations with mental health outcomes but showed significant positive associations with social behaviors. In particular, AI tool use and online shopping were strong predictors of skills such as problem-solving, empathy, and collaboration. These findings suggest that the way teenagers use digital tools may matter more than how often they use them, especially in educational and social development contexts.

KEYWORDS

Online Environments, Adolescents, Social Behaviors, Mental Health

CITE THIS PAPER

Yitong Wang, Network Environments in Teenagers' Behaviors and Mental Development. Applied & Educational Psychology (2025) Vol. 6: 162-171. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/appep.2025.060321.

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