Digital Dilemmas: Unpacking Identity, Leisure, and Mental Health in a Screen-Saturated World

This paper explores how interactive media use (e.g., video gaming, social media) relates to mental health during identity development. We examine whether problematic use is better understood as a cause or consequence of poor mental health and propose societal values as a contextual factor influencing this dynamic. While research consistently links high media use to mental health concerns, causal pathways remain ambiguous. Emerging models emphasize the importance of how media are used rather than how much. The self-determination theory (SDT) and dualistic model of passion offer promising frameworks for distinguishing between adaptive and maladaptive engagement. We argue that media use-related well- or ill-being depends more on the psychological needs satisfied by activities than on duration of use. Harmonious versus obsessive passion further clarifies when high engagement becomes problematic. This perspective informs more effective prevention and intervention strategies while avoiding moral panic and over-pathologization.