Does social media addiction disrupt mindful attention of students in health colleges at a university in Saudi Arabia?

Abstract:

BACKGROUND:
Attention, a fundamental cognitive process that is crucial for achieving personal and academic goals, can be significantly impacted by the use of social media. With the rise of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp, social media addiction (SMA) has become a growing concern, especially among students. Studies show that excessive engagement with social media can impair attention. This study’s aim was to explore the impact of SMA on the mindful attention (MA) of undergraduate students in health colleges.


MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in health colleges at a University in Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was distributed to 380 undergraduate students at health colleges. MA was assessed by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) assessed SMA. Data were analysed using SPSS; categorical data were presented as frequencies and percentages, while mean, standard deviation, and median were used to summarize continuous variables. Pearson correlation was employed to assess the relationship between SMA and MA. Multiple linear regression model employed to identify independent predictors of MAAS scores.


RESULTS:

A total of 335 students participated in the study; the mean MAAS score was 57.99 (SD= 14.17) and a mean SMA score of 16.07 (SD=4.78). A significant negative correlation was found between SMA and mindfulness (R = -0.519,
P
< 0.001); the higher SMA was associated with lower MAAS scores. In multiple regression model, higher SMA remained an independent significant predictor of lower MAAS (B = -1.14,
P
< 0.001, 95% CI: -1.43 to -0.85).



CONCLUSION:
The study highlights that higher social media use is linked to lower attention. Positive lifestyle factors such as academic satisfaction, social support, good sleep, and diet were associated with better attention. Self-perceived stress, consumption of caffeine, and watching short videos were negatively associated with MA. These findings highlight the need to promote healthy lifestyle habits.