The Impact of Using Social Media at Different Age Groups on Task Completion

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-701-9_76How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Social Media Use; Task Completion; Generational Differences; Digital Distraction; Productivity; Self-Regulation; Media Behaviour

Abstract

This study examines the differential impact of social media usage patterns on task completion across age groups. Drawing upon survey data from 104 respondents collected via an online questionnaire platform, the research analyses variations in usage duration, purpose, and perceived efficiency among four age cohorts (13–22, 23–35, 36–50, and 50+). The findings indicate significant generational disparities: younger participants report higher engagement levels and greater susceptibility to task interruption, particularly due to high-frequency notifications and short-form content, whereas older cohorts demonstrate more instrumental and regulated usage patterns associated with fewer perceived disruptions. Integrating empirical data with existing theoretical debates, the study supports the dual-nature framework of social media as both a facilitative and disruptive force in productivity. The results underscore the importance of age, usage intention, and self-regulation in mediating the relationship between digital engagement and task efficiency, contributing to broader discussions on digital behaviour and generational differences in contemporary media environments.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Yutong Cen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/30
TI  - The Impact of Using Social Media at Different Age Groups on Task Completion
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 11th International Conference on Social Sciences and Economic Development (ICSSED 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 738
EP  - 743
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-701-9_76
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-701-9_76
ID  - Cen2026
ER  -