Social connectedness, problematic tiktok use, and adolescent academic motivation: the roles of sleep and mental health

Academic motivation during adolescence is shaped by social, digital, and psychological factors. This cross-sectional study examined an integrated model linking social connectedness, problematic TikTok use, emotional–behavioral difficulties, sleep disturbance, psychological well-being, psychological distress, and academic motivation among 510 Indonesian secondary-school students (M age = 13.57 years, SD = 1.30; 265 males [52.0%], 245 females [48.0%]) from Salatiga and Jakarta. Data were analyzed using composite path analysis. Social connectedness was associated with fewer emotional–behavioral difficulties and sleep problems, greater psychological well-being, higher autonomous motivation, and lower amotivation. Problematic TikTok use was associated with increased emotional–behavioral difficulties and sleep disturbance and indirectly related to psychological distress and amotivation. Social connectedness showed indirect associations with greater autonomous motivation and lower amotivation through psychological well-being and emotional–behavioral functioning. No significant differences were observed between school contexts, findings suggest the interconnected roles of social relationships, digital behavior, sleep, and mental health in adolescent academic motivation.