Depression precedes problematic video streaming in adolescents: Prevalence trends and cross-lagged associations from a four-wave population-based study

The study examined the prevalence of problematic video streaming (PVS) among German adolescents aged 10-17 years over four years (2022-2025) in a sample of 3,477 participants. Pathological video streaming occurred in 2-4% of adolescents, while hazardous streaming was present in 13-14% in 2022-2024 and increased to 25% in 2025. Up to 81% of adolescents with pathological streaming and 21% with hazardous streaming showed clinically relevant depression symptoms. Data analysis revealed that depression significantly predicted the development of problematic video streaming, but not vice versa. The results suggest that depression is a preceding factor of problematic video streaming and point to the role of maladaptive coping mechanisms.