Social Media Addiction and Procrastination in Peruvian University Students: Exploring the Role of Emotional Regulation and Age Moderation

Objectives: This study examines the mediating role of emotional regulation in the relationship between social media addiction and irrational procrastination among university students in Trujillo, Peru. Methods: The research employed a non-experimental, explanatory design with latent variables using measurement scales involving 342 university students aged 18 to 36 years. Data collection was carried out using quota sampling using institutional email lists. The findings reveal that social media addiction significantly influences both irrational procrastination and emotional regulation, with age moderating the relationship between emotional regulation and procrastination. Results: The results indicated that social media addiction explained 9.5% of the variance in procrastination and 12% of the variance in emotional regulation. Interestingly, although age alone did not directly predict procrastination, it demonstrated a significant moderating effect when combined with emotional regulation. The study did not find a significant mediating effect of emotional regulation between social media addiction and procrastination. Conclusions: These findings contribute to understanding the complex dynamics between digital behavior, emotional regulation, and academic procrastination, suggesting the need for targeted interventions that consider age-specific approaches to emotional regulation and social media use in the academic setting.