Impact of Social Media Addiction on Academic Procrastination and Sleep Quality: The Mediating Role of Immediate Gratification and the Moderating Effect of Mindfulness

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v7i1.482

Keywords:

Academic Procrastination, Immediate Gratification, Mindfulness, Sleep Quality, Social Media Addiction

Abstract

This study examined the effects of social media addiction on academic procrastination and sleep quality among Pakistani university students, considering immediate gratification as a mediator and mindfulness as a moderator. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using purposive sampling of students aged 18–35 years. Out of 174 distributed questionnaires, 157 were completed (90% response rate). Standardized instruments included the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Academic Procrastination Scale for Students, and Jenkins Sleep Scale, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. Pearson correlation analysis showed that social media addiction was positively associated with immediate gratification and academic procrastination, negatively but non-significantly related to mindfulness, and positively but non-significantly related to sleep quality. Immediate gratification correlated negatively with mindfulness and positively with academic procrastination and sleep quality disturbances. Mindfulness negatively correlated with academic procrastination and sleep quality disturbances. Mediation analysis revealed that immediate gratification fully mediated the relationship between social media addiction and academic procrastination. Moderation analysis indicated that mindfulness did not moderate the relationship with academic procrastination but buffered the association with sleep quality. The findings highlight the role of immediate gratification and mindfulness in understanding the impact of social media addiction on academic and sleep outcomes, providing insights for interventions targeting university students and directions for future research.

Author Biography

Pulwasha Anwar, PhD Candidate, Department of Psychology, Institute of Social Sciences, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkiye.

 

 

 

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Published

2026-03-31

How to Cite

Mahmood, S., Hameed, H., & Anwar, P. (2026). Impact of Social Media Addiction on Academic Procrastination and Sleep Quality: The Mediating Role of Immediate Gratification and the Moderating Effect of Mindfulness. Journal of Professional & Applied Psychology, 7(1), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v7i1.482