The relationship between doomscrolling intensity and academic anxiety among TikTok-using university students
Abstract
The widespread use of TikTok has increased users' exposure to personalized digital content, including repeated exposure to negative information that may encourage doomscrolling behavior. This study aimed to examine the relationship between doomscrolling intensity and academic anxiety among university students who use TikTok. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional correlational design was conducted involving 200 undergraduate students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Social Media Doomscrolling Scale and the Academic Anxiety Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlation because one variable did not meet the normality assumption. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between doomscrolling intensity and academic anxiety (ρ = 0.301, p < .001), indicating that students with higher doomscrolling intensity tended to experience higher levels of academic anxiety. However, the strength of the relationship was weak, suggesting that doomscrolling is only one of several factors associated with academic anxiety. These findings expand previous evidence regarding the psychological consequences of doomscrolling by demonstrating its association with academic anxiety in the context of TikTok use among university students. The findings also highlight the importance of promoting healthy social media use, digital literacy, self-regulation, and emotional regulation to reduce the potential psychological impact of excessive exposure to negative online content.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30659/jp.21.2.255-268
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