Cyberstalking and Harmony in Life: Serial mediation by Social Media Addiction and Digital Well-Being

Authors

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.655091
Keywords: Cyberstalking, Harmony in life, Social media addiction, Digital well-being, Serial mediation

Abstract

Background: The swift growth of digital engagement has heightened vulnerability to online threats, including cyberstalking, which poses significant threats to mental health. Despite growing evidence linking problematic digital behaviors to reduced well-being, limited research has examined how cyberstalking disrupts broader indicators of life balance such as harmony in life. Objective: To examine the impact of cyberstalking on harmony in life and explore how social media addiction and digital well-being mediate this relationship. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed with 427 participants aged 18–60. Participants completed validated measures of cyberstalking, social media addiction, digital well-being, and harmony in life. Serial mediation analysis was conducted using bootstrapping procedures (5,000 resamples) via PROCESS Model 6 to examine indirect effects. Results: Cyberstalking significantly predicted higher levels of social media addiction (a1 = 0.27, p < .001) and lower levels of digital well-being (a2 = -0.06, p < .05). Both social media addiction, and digital well-being mediated the relationship between cyberstalking and harmony in life, indicating that cyberstalking's adverse effects on mental health can manifest through increased social media engagement and diminished digital well-being. The direct relationship between cyberstalking and harmony in life became nonsignificant when controlling for these mediators, indicating full mediation. Conclusion: The findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing digital well-being and addressing social media addiction to promote harmony in life among individuals affected by cyberstalking.

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Published
05-08-2026
How to Cite
TAŞ, İbrahim, & Göçet-Tekin, E. (2026). Cyberstalking and Harmony in Life: Serial mediation by Social Media Addiction and Digital Well-Being. Anales De Psicología Annals of Psychology, 42(3), e28. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.655091