Different Motivations for Mobile Media Use Show Distinct Links to Adolescent Depression Through Academic Self-Concept and Prosocial Behavior

Research on mobile media use and adolescent mental health has yielded inconsistent findings, often emphasizing usage frequency while neglecting motivational differences. Grounded in Uses and Gratifications Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study examined how academic self-concept and prosocial behavior mediate the associations between different motivations for mobile media use (MMMU) and depression among Chinese adolescents. A large-scale offline survey using cluster sampling was conducted with 46,862 participants ( M age = 13.33 ± 2.20), who completed validated measures of MMMU, academic self-concept, prosocial behavior, and depression. Parallel mediation analyses showed that interpersonal communication and information acquisition were negatively associated with depression, whereas reality avoidance and stimulus seeking were positively associated. Both academic self-concept and prosocial behavior significantly mediated the associations between each type of MMMU and depression. Consistent with the proposed theoretical framework, adaptive motivations enhanced academic self-concept and prosocial behavior, reducing depressive symptoms, while maladaptive motivations weakened these protective factors.