Year: 2026 | Month: April | Volume 17 | Issue 1
Impact of Social Media Addiction on Inhibition of Information and Cognitive Style in Adolescents of Kolkata
Anindita Gupta
DOI:10.30954/2230-7311.1.2026.10
Abstract:
Exposure to media, particularly digital media, can lead to various cognitive changes, including impaired attention, memory problems, and reduced executive function, especially in children and adolescents. Additionally, excessive screen time can disrupt sleep patterns, which further impacts cognitive function. Excessive media use, particularly fast-paced content, can shorten attention spans. Observational studies have linked early exposure to fast-paced television with attentional deficits in later childhood. Multitasking with media can also negatively impact attention. Excessive screen time can negatively affect short-term memory. Memory loss can be a symptom of digital dementia, which is linked to excessive technology use. Using media to document experiences may actually diminish memory for those experiences. Digital media overuse can impair executive functions like inhibitory control, which is the ability to resist distractions. Early screen media exposure may lead to weaker executive functions in preschool children. Multi-tasking with media has been associated with poorer executive functioning. Excessive screen time can lead to a decline in cognitive abilities, including memory loss, attention deficit, reduced ability to communicate, and impaired decision-making. Digital media use, especially multitasking, has been linked to increased impulsiveness and a reduced ability to adapt to changing situations. Impaired social communication skills can be a consequence of excessive media use, especially in children. Research suggests that social media use may impact social problem-solving skills. Excessive screen time may reduce opportunities for creative thinking. Factors influencing cognitive effects could be age, type of media, amount of use, individual differences etc. The present study tries to find out the impact of social media addiction on ability to inhibit irrelevant information and cognitive style. The study uses the Social Media Addiction Test, Stroop Test and the Group Embedded figure Test for this purpose. The sample size of the study was hundred. There were equal number of boys and girls in the study. The age group of the sample was 13 to 16 years. Mean, standard deviation, Pearsonean correlation coefficient was found out. Results revealed that there was a significant impact of social media addiction on inhibition and cognitive style of the adolescents.
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