Risky online self-disclosure in adolescents: a meta-analytic review of predictors and outcomes

In the digital era, adolescents’ risky online self-disclosure has attracted growing scholarly attention. However, empirical findings regarding its predictors and outcomes remain inconsistent. Grounded in Privacy Calculus Theory, this study conducted a meta-analysis of 13 empirical studies (total N = 41,521) to systematically examine the psychological mechanisms and contextual moderators of adolescents’ risky online self-disclosure. Results showed that both benefit and cost predictors had non-significant overall effects with substantial heterogeneity, suggesting that adolescents’ risky self-disclosure is not solely driven by single psychological traits but rather shaped by multiple factors such as internet context, platform characteristics, and social interaction needs. In contrast, the overall effect of outcome variables was significant and positive, indicating a stable relationship between risky self-disclosure and its consequences. Further analyses revealed that sample size, national context, and platform type significantly moderated these relationships. This study elucidates the psychological bias mechanisms underlying adolescents’ online risk behaviors and provides practical implications for risk prevention and media literacy education in social media contexts. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ CRD420251117327.