TikTok Scrolling Addiction and Academic Procrastination in Young Adults

Abstract

Young adults nowadays are prone to watching short videos ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, continuously scrolling through social media platforms that provide these videos to users worldwide. Some watch informative videos, while others use them solely for entertainment, and some use them for both purposes. Studies have shown the detrimental effects of excessive and problematic use of social media platforms on mental health and disruption of daily routines. There is a considerable amount of literature on TikTok addiction and academic procrastination; however, such studies are limited in Pakistan. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by focusing on the addiction to TikTok scrolling and academic procrastination in young adults, specifically college and university students aged 18 to 25. The study adopted a cross-sectional correlational design and purposive sampling technique. Two measures were used: the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale to measure TikTok scrolling addiction and the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students to measure academic procrastination. The findings reveal a positive significant association between TikTok scrolling addiction and academic procrastination. The findings also indicate a positive and significant impact of TikTok scrolling addiction on academic procrastination among young adults. Gender differences in the study show no significant difference between men and women in terms of TikTok scrolling addiction and academic procrastination; however, the mean score for men was higher than that for women. Limitations and recommendations were comprehensively discussed at the end of the study. Implications for students' welfare were also provided.