The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Online Media Use and Violent Behavior: Focusing on the Moderated Mediation Effect of Exposure to Violent and Hateful Content and Media Literacy Education

This study examines the effects of online media use on adolescents’ violent behavior, focusing on the mediating role of exposure to violent and hateful content and the moderated mediation effect of media literacy education. Using data from the 2021 Korean Youth Media Use Survey, responses from 2,958 middle and high school students were analyzed. The results showed that online media use had a significant positive effect on offline violence, partially mediated by exposure to violent and hateful content. In contrast, online media use did not have a statistically significant direct effect on online violence, but a fully mediated effect through exposure to violent and hateful content was observed. Notably, media literacy education demonstrated a moderated mediation effect specifically in the pathway related to online violence, indicating that adolescents with higher levels of media literacy were less likely to exhibit violent behavior online despite exposure to harmful content. Based on these findings, the study discusses its academic contributions and policy implications for violence prevention and youth media education.