Technology Overload and the Social Media Paradox: Academic and Psychological Outcomes among Secondary School Students in Pakistan

Abstract

The increasing use of smartphones and social media has gradually and significantly changed the ways in which secondary school students in Pakistan engage with teaching-learning, their peers, and the society in which they live. However, excessive and unregulated use can lead to technology overload and associated academic and psychological challenges. This study adopted a mixed-methods design to analyze the associations among social media use, technology overload, academic performance and psychological outcomes in secondary school students in Pakistan. Using stratified random sampling technique, quantitative data were collected from 300 students of Grade 9^th and 10^th studying in government secondary schools in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan during the academic session 2024-2025, whereas qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interview with 20 students, and analyzed thematically. Quantitative findings of the survey showed that 62% of the students reported using social media platforms for 3 to 5 hours a day, while 18% of them were exceeding 5 hours. There exists a positive association between social media use and technology overload (r = .58, p < .01), and contrary to it, technology overload was negatively associated with academic performance (r = -0.46, p = .01). Students reported stress, mental fatigue, and sleep disruption due to prolonged use of smart phones. The main three themes emerged from qualitative findings were: (i) distraction and procrastination, (ii) social pressure and comparison, and (iii) cognitive fatigue. The study identifies a social media paradox, aligned with Cognitive Load Theory, and Technostress Theory, and recommends digital literacy education. In order to overcome technology overload among secondary school students of Pakistani schools, the study recommends proper guidance on the part of schools, and vigilant role of parents to monitor their children.