The Effect of Social Media Addiction on Attention Span and Aggression among University Students

Abstract

Social media now permeates every aspect of everyday life, impacting social relationships, communication, and information gathering. On the other hand, worries are raised about how social media addiction could influence attention spans and aggression. This research aims to explore the relationship between social media addiction, attention span, and aggression among university students, considering the growing prevalence of social media use and its implications for mental health. University students were included in the research. The Aggression Questionnaire (AGQ), the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the Social Media Addiction Scale (SNAS) were used as assessment instruments. Correlation analyses were performed in order to under the relationship between social media addiction, attention span, and aggression. The findings revealed a significant negative correlation between SNAS and MAAS (r=-.391**, p<.001), suggestive of a possible decline in mindful attention awareness in people with an increased addiction to social networking. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between SNAS and AGQ (r=.488**, p<.001), indicating that a greater propensity to engage in violent behavior, especially online, may be associated with an increased addiction to social networking. MAAS has negative correlation with AGQ (r=-.322**, p<.001) that indicates that the person with high level of mindfulness are less likely to engage in aggressive behavior. Furthermore, the association between aggressiveness and social media addiction is favorable, underscoring the significance of treating violent behaviors linked to social media addiction.