Online bullies: How digital spaces take toll on teens' mental health
Sci & Tech
By
Nanjinia Wamuswa
| Nov 22, 2025
Shana Rita, 15, owns a phone that she uses to access social media, where she runs three accounts, including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. She uses these platforms for social interaction.
However, her online experience has not always been positive.
“I face a lot of threats. Sometimes, when you post something, people become jealous and project their emotions onto you. Their words really hurt,” she says.
At times, when Shana plays international online games where she encounters people who try to lure her or expose her to harmful content.
“When such things happen, I become scared to interact with people again,” she explains.
Sometime last year, Shana took a break from social media to avoid falling mentally ill.
Abigail Wangeci, 16, who operates Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube accounts, says the threats she faces usually come from new followers.
“You have to analyse an account first. Sometimes it turns out to be someone older than you think, and they start bullying you,” she says.
To protect herself, Wangeci tells her parents, and blocks and reports the accounts.
Shana and Wangeci shared their stories during the launch of the social media advocacy initiative organised by the Children Rights Advocacy and Legal Aid Foundation (CRALAF).
The initiative aims to strengthen child protection, promote ethical digital engagement, and enhance online safety in Kenya.
The two-day capacity-building forum, held as the world celebrated Universal Children’s Day, brought together social media influencers, bloggers, podcasters, and digital content creators to promote child-sensitive reporting.
Phoebe Wahome, founder and executive director of CRALAF, said that as the world commemorated Universal Children’s Day on November 20, her organisation prioritised social media as a powerful tool for advancing children’s rights.
Christian Githinji, 17, who has three social media accounts mainly for watching basketball, says he has yet to face threats.
‘‘But attending this forum has taught me what to do if I’m ever threatened online, including reporting it to the helpline we were given,” he says.
“Social media continues to shape how children and teenagers learn, interact, and access information, yet it also exposes them to a range of digital harms, including cyberbullying, exploitation, and harmful content,” Wahome said.
She warned, “Digital transformation has also brought challenges. Unverified content, sensational reporting, and unethical storytelling increasingly threaten children’s dignity and safety, compromising their protection.”
Unlike mainstream media, which receives continuous training on ethical reporting, digital actors often operate without guidance, increasing the risk of harmful or inaccurate narratives.
Recent studies show that digital access among Kenyan children is rising, but age strongly shapes online engagement.
About 67 per cent of children aged 12 to 17 use the internet, with access increasing sharply by age, from 55 per cent among 12 to 13-year-olds to 83 per cent among 16 to 17-year-olds.