Exploring the impact of cyberbullying on mental health through social media: A visualization and trend analysis

Introduction: Cyberbullying on social media has become a major concern due to its severe impact on mental health, particularly among adolescents. The intersection of cyberbullying, social media, and mental health has attracted increasing scholarly attention, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which intensified online interactions and their psychological consequences. Objectives: This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of research trends on cyberbullying, social media, and mental health from 2014 to 2024, identifying key themes, influential authors, leading journals, and emerging research patterns. Methods: A dataset of 203 documents was retrieved from Scopus and analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. The analysis included keyword co-occurrence mapping, citation analysis, authorship trends, and global collaboration networks. Results: Findings reveal a 36.22% annual growth rate in publications, highlighting increasing academic interest. Core research themes include depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning emerging as tools for cyberbullying detection and mitigation. The United States, United Kingdom, and Germany lead international collaboration. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced research trends, amplifying discussions on mental health impacts. Conclusions: This study underscores the need for interdisciplinary approaches integrating technology, psychology, and public health to develop effective interventions against cyberbullying. Future research should focus on long-term psychological effects, AI-driven prevention, and policy frameworks. Strengthening global collaboration is crucial to addressing the evolving challenges of cyberbullying in the digital age.