Relationship between Social Media Site related Social Overload, Digital Stress and Cognitive Flexibility among Young Adults

Abstract

The popularity of social networking sites in the lives of young adults has had a tremendous effect on the manner in which they communicate and interact in real-life situations. As much as these platforms facilitate social connection, they also demand unending socialness from the user, a factor that may also cause increased stress and mental load. Despite the increasing focus on digital well-being, little has been done on how social overload and digital stress associated with the use of social networking sites can affect cognitive flexibility among young adults. This paper attempts to test the correlation between social networking site–related social overload, digital stress, and cognitive flexibility among 150 youth. The study used a cross-sectional research design, and the study variables were determined using standardized self-report measures. The results showed a significant positive correlation between social networking site–related social overload and digital stress, implying that higher online social requirements lead to greater stress. Moreover, social networking site–related social overload had a significant negative correlation with cognitive flexibility, although the correlation between digital stress and cognitive flexibility  was negative but not significant. These findings imply that excess social requirements in the digital world can lessen the capacity of individuals to think flexibly and adjust to new scenarios.