RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EXCESSIVE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN YOUNG PEOPLE

Abstract

This study proposes to investigate the association between excessive use of social media, impairments in executive functions, and the mediating influence of anxiety and social comparison in young adults. In recent decades, the advancement of digital technologies has significantly modified patterns of social interaction, especially among young people. Social networks have come to occupy a central role in communication, identity construction, and social validation. However, excessive use of these platforms has been associated with emotional and cognitive impairments, including symptoms of anxiety, behavioral dependence, and attentional difficulties. From a behavioral point of view, the functioning of social networks is based on intermittent reinforcement schedules, in which likes, comments, and notifications operate as variable reinforcers, favoring the maintenance of constant checking behavior. From a neuropsychological perspective, prolonged and fragmented exposure to digital stimuli can impact executive functions, such as sustained attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, being associated with cognitive overload and reduced attentional self-regulation. Furthermore, continuous exposure to idealized life patterns fosters social comparison processes, as proposed by Festinger (1954), which can intensify anxiety symptoms and affect psychological well-being.