Developing digital resilience among adolescents: Addressing cyberbullying and problematic internet use in underserved communities

Adolescents are increasingly vulnerable to cyberbullying and problematic internet use (PIU), both of which have been linked to poor mental health, social isolation, and academic decline. These issues are compounded among racially and socioeconomically marginalized groups. This paper examines the neurodevelopmental, psychosocial, and structural factors contributing to cyberbullying and PIU, highlights racial and socioeconomic disparities in digital harm exposure, and proposes culturally responsive, community-based intervention strategies. Drawing on the author’s professional experience as a clinical social worker and her cultural insights as an African woman, this article offers a multidisciplinary framework for addressing digital harms in adolescents, with implications for U.S. mental health and education policy.