The Impact of Social Media on Mental Clutter Among Students at Al Ain University—A Field Study

Abstract

This study aimed to look into the correlation between the use of Instagram and TikTok and mental clutter among students of Al Ain University. The descriptive-correlational design was used, and the data were gathered by questionnaire from 70 students. The results indicated that students used Instagram and TikTok moderately and that they perceived moderate influence on their concentration, academic focus and mental clarity. The research calls for university policies on digital wellness, awareness workshops, limiting the use of phones during studies and student support programs to mitigate the negative impact of overuse of social media on academic and psychological performance. The data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of two sections: the first deals with personal variables, and the second contains 15 items distributed over three main axes. The results showed that the degree of students’ use of social media programs was average, as students used these applications on a daily basis but moderately. The effect of excessive use of social media software on distraction was moderate, as students found it difficult to focus on their assignments due to excessive use of these applications. Regarding the suggestions to minimize negative impacts, students pointed out the importance of setting certain times to stay away from these applications while studying. The study concluded that students should be aware of the negative effects of excessive use of social media programs and provide strategies to reduce these effects. Quantitatively, the overall Instagram and TikTok use score was M = 2.21 (SD = 0.897), the perceived mental-clutter score was M = 2.28 (SD = 0.891), and the strategy score was M = 2.29 (SD = 0.831); the full questionnaire showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.85). One-sample tests against the three-point scale midpoint of 2.00 showed that perceived mental clutter, t(69) = 2.63, p = 0.011, and support for self-regulation strategies, t(69) = 2.92, p = 0.005, were significantly above the midpoint, whereas the social-media-use mean was marginal, t(69) = 1.96, p = 0.054.