THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION AND ACADEMIC FUNCTIONING IN ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS - A NARRATIVE REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.2(50).2026.5595Keywords:
Problematic Social Media Use, Academic Performance, Academic Engagement, Procrastination, Academic BurnoutAbstract
Introduction: Social media constitutes an important part of the daily functioning of adolescents and young adults. Increasing research focuses on the consequences of their excessive and problematic use. The aim of this study was to review the literature on the relationship between problematic social media use and academic functioning in adolescents and young adults.
Materials and methods: The literature review was conducted based on scientific publications available in the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, covering the years 1998–2025. Empirical studies and review papers concerning problematic social media use, academic performance, academic engagement, procrastination, academic burnout, and mediating factors such as sleep quality were analyzed.
Results: The results show that problematic social media use is in most studies associated with poorer academic functioning, including lower academic performance, reduced academic engagement, and increased procrastination. This relationship is complex and is often influenced by factors such as sleep quality, mental fatigue, and academic burnout. At the same time, findings vary across studies due to differences in definitions and methodologies, as well as the predominance of cross-sectional designs.
Conclusions: Overall, the available evidence confirms the existence of a relationship between problematic social media use and academic functioning, highlighting the need for further longitudinal research and standardization of research methods.
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