Cyberbullying in emerging adulthood: evidence from social media usage patterns in Makassar, Indonesia

Ramdhan Primanthoro; Arie Gunawan Hazairin  Zubair; Tarmizi Thalib

doi:10.65881/integration.v1i2.63

Authors

Ramdhan Primanthoro Universitas Bosowa, Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia Author
Arie Gunawan Hazairin Zubair Universitas Bosowa, Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia Author
Tarmizi Thalib Eastern Society for Education, Research and Development (Eserde), Makassar, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0825-8703

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65881/integration.v1i2.63

Keywords:

cyberbullying, early adulthood, online aggression, social media intensity, digital interaction

Abstract

Purpose: to analyze cyberbullying involvement among emerging adults in Makassar based on demographic characteristics and social media usage duration.

Method: This study used a quantitative descriptive design involving 448 emerging adults aged 19–27 years in Makassar, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a 32-item cyberbullying scale and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Findings: showed that cyberbullying behavior among emerging adults was generally in the low to moderate category. Higher involvement in cyberbullying was found among individuals with longer social media usage duration, particularly those using social media for 10–12 hours per day, and among participants aged 18–20 years.

Implications: this study highlights the importance of digital literacy, emotional regulation, and cyberbullying prevention programs targeting emerging adults with high social media use.

Originality: lies in its focus on cyberbullying among emerging adults in Makassar, Indonesia, by examining demographic characteristics and social media usage duration, a population and context that remain underexplored in previous studies.