The mediating role of attention control in the link between multitasking with social media and academic performances among adolescents

Prevalence of using social media services while learning, studying and doing homework is increasing rapidly among adolescents in the digital age. Although there is evidence for negative consequences of multitasking with social media, little is known about impact of social media multitasking from perspective attention control of self-regulation. This study examined the mediating role of attention control as a component of self-regulation in the link between social media multitasking and academic performances in a sample of adolescents who were recruited from high school students (N = 637). A correlational research design was used in the study. To examine study hypothesis, a mediation model was tested using simple mediation analysis in macro PROCESS (model 4). Results have revealed that attention control of self-regulation mediated the negative relationship between multitasking with social media and academic performances of the students. Multitasking with social media was a negatively significant predictor of academic performance, whereas attention control positively predicted academic performance. It implies that more frequent multitasking behavior with social media had lower attention control and poorer academic performances. The conclusions of the study suggest a critical role for attention control in decreasing negative effect of multitasking with social media on academic performances of adolescents in high school setting. Implications and suggestions for future studies are proposed.