Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

• Z. Samimi ¹
• A. Mohammadi Dadkan ²

¹ Department of psychology and Educational Technology, International University of Chabahar, Chabahar, Iran

² Department of Educational Technology, International University of Chabahar, Chabahar, Iran

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, one of the major concerns in the field of mental health and education is the excessive use of virtual social networks among adolescents. This phenomenon, due to the expansion of communication technologies and the widespread availability of digital tools, has become an inseparable part of teenagers’ daily lives. Excessive use of these networks can have various impacts on different psychological, social, and academic dimensions. Therefore, identifying the factors associated with the level of social network use is highly important for researchers in psychology, education, and media studies. In this regard, previous research has indicated that cognitive skills such as executive functions—including abilities like self-management, planning, problem-solving, and behavioral inhibition—and also media literacy skills as an important tool for interacting critically and intelligently with media content, can influence the extent of social network use. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the differences in executive functions and media literacy based on the level of social network use among students.
Methods: The research method was descriptive and causal-comparative. The statistical population consisted of 2,400 male students in the first year of middle school in Khash during the academic year 2023-2024. Out of this population, 100 students with low use of social networks and 100 students with high use of social networks were selected using available sampling and online participation as the research sample. To collect data, the study used Social Network Addiction Questionnaire developed by Khajeh Ahmadi et al. (2017), the Philosophical Media Literacy Questionnaire (2014), and Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (2011). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics indicators such as mean, standard deviation, frequency, and frequency percentage, as well as inferential statistics including multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), while respecting its assumptions such as normal distribution of scores and homogeneity of variance-covariance matrices. The significance level was set at 0.05, and analyses were conducted using SPSS version 27.
Findings: The findings indicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age and gender. To ensure matching between the groups, chi-square test for gender and independent t-test for age were conducted. The results showed that the chi-square test was not significant for gender (p=0.86) and the t-test was not significant for age (p=0.73), confirming that the groups were homogeneous with regard to these demographic variables. Furthermore, the inferential analysis revealed a significant difference in executive functions and all its components (including time self-management, self-organization/ problem-solving, self-control/inhibition, self-motivation, and emotion self-regulation) between students with low and high use of social networks. Similarly, a significant difference was found considering media literacy and all its components (including message comprehension, message purposes, message selection, critical view of messages, and critical analysis of messages) between the two groups. Students with lower use of social networks demonstrated higher executive functions and media literacy compared to the students with higher use of social networks.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that students with different levels of social network use exhibit different cognitive statuses and media literacy skills. Specifically, excessive use of virtual social networks is associated with negative consequences in cognitive and media literacy domains. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on training cognitive skills and enhancing media literacy among students to reduce the adverse effects of excessive social network use. Therefore, it is recommended to develop and implement educational programs aimed at improving executive functions and media literacy in students so that their use of social networks can be directed toward more positive and constructive outcomes while minimizing potential harms. Such programs could include workshops, practical activities, and innovative teaching strategies integrated into school curricula. The results of this study can serve as a foundation for designing educational and psychological interventions to promote mental health and cognitive empowerment among adolescents.

Keywords

• Social Networks
• Executive Functions
• Media literacy

Main Subjects

• Information literacy