Excessive Use of Social Media and Its Relationship to Academic Procrastination among Students of the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences

Abstract

There is no doubt that spending long hours in front of modern electronic devices—such as tablets and laptops—has become a defining feature of this era. However, many individuals use these devices continuously to the extent that they have begun to dominate their users’ minds, time, and daily activities. The rate of social media use is particularly high among university students due to their need to gather information, often more than other groups. Nevertheless, addiction to social networking sites can lead to psychological problems for the addicted student, including feelings of loneliness and social isolation. These issues may cause students to procrastinate in performing their academic and life responsibilities, which can negatively affect their academic achievement. Academic procrastination has become a widespread phenomenon among university students, leading to low academic performance, weak grades, and even withdrawal or dropping out of courses. Procrastination in the academic field appears when students unjustifiably delay completing required academic tasks until the last possible moment. It is considered a maladaptive behavior due to its negative consequences. The problem lies in students postponing or delaying the implementation of essential tasks necessary to achieve their academic goals, which negatively impacts the quality and development of the educational process. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the level of excessive social media use and academic procrastination among third-year students in the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Babylon. It also sought to determine the differences in the degree of excessive social media use and academic procrastination between male and female students, as well as to examine the correlational relationship between excessive social media use and academic procrastination among students. The researchers adopted the descriptive method using survey, correlational, and comparative approaches, in line with the study’s requirements and objectives. The research sample consisted of (120) male and female third-year morning students from the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Babylon for the academic year (2025–2026). The sample included (80) male students and (40) female students selected using stratified random sampling. Of these, (100) students were included in the main study and (20) in the pilot study. The researchers concluded that third-year students in the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Babylon exhibit excessive use of social media and academic procrastination. The results also indicated that male students demonstrate higher levels of excessive social media use and academic procrastination compared to female students. Furthermore, a strong positive correlation was found between excessive social media use and academic procrastination among students.