PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

Abstract

Digital technology has become an essential part of communication, learning, entertainment, and social interaction, yet its psychological influence on cognitive and emotional well-being remains a growing concern. This study examined the relationship between digital technology use and cognitive-emotional well-being using secondary data from the Social Media and Mental Health dataset. A quantitative cross-sectional design was applied to 481 valid responses containing demographic information, social media usage patterns, cognitive indicators, emotional indicators, and sleep-related variables. Digital technology use was assessed through daily social media use, purposeless use, restlessness when disconnected, and validation-seeking behavior. Cognitive well-being was measured through distraction and concentration difficulty, while emotional well-being was assessed through worry, depressive feelings, comparison, validation-seeking, fluctuation of interest, and sleep issues. Descriptive statistics, reliability testing, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted using Python. Results showed that digital-use risk was strongly associated with cognitive strain, emotional strain, and overall psychological strain. Daily time spent on digital platforms also showed moderate positive associations with cognitive and emotional strain. Regression findings indicated that digital-use variables explained substantial variance in psychological outcomes. The findings suggest that excessive and poorly regulated digital engagement may contribute to distraction, emotional vulnerability, and reduced well-being, although causal conclusions cannot be drawn.