Balancing Screen Time and Real Time: Strategies Undergraduate Students Use to Regulate Social Media Usage

This study explores how undergraduate students manage and control their social media usage while balancing academic, personal, and social responsibilities. With the rapid growth of smartphones and networking platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter), social media has become a major part of students’ lives. Although these platforms support communication, learning, entertainment, and networking opportunities, excessive engagement may result in distraction, reduced productivity, sleep problems, and limited face-to-face interaction. This study adopted a mixed-method approach, consisting of surveys and semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students. The findings identified commonly used self-regulation techniques, motivations for limiting screen time, challenges faced during implementation, and positive outcomes experienced by students. The study highlights the importance of digital well-being practices and suggests institutional initiatives that can encourage healthier technology habits among university students.