The Impact of Teenagers' Digital Footprints: Examining How Data Breaches Trigger Anxiety and Depression and Solution to the Problem

Abstract

The youths' actions within the digital platforms have been defined as digital footprints, which are crucial in facilitating analysis and understanding of their behaviour. Extensive digital footprints among the youths have exposed them to increased vulnerability to mental health. This scenario is explained by increased emotional response among the youths, which presents a unique challenge, especially due to their lower resilience than adults. The strong intersection between digital privacy violations and teenage mental health creates a complex relationship that requires the implementation of a multifacetedmultifaceted intervention that addresses the associated gaps. Interventions such as increased digital literacy, mental health support, and innovative technology interventions are crucial practices recommended to address issues related to digital breaches and teenagers' mental health. Future studies should consider the limitations of this research, which include rapid technological innovation and challenges isolating data breaches from other stressors of mental health among teenagers. The purpose of this systematic review study is to evaluate the link between data breaches and increasing cases of anxiety and depression among the teenagers. Also, the study will provide recommendations such as opportunities for digital literacy, access to mental health programs, policy interventions and improved technology innovations.