World Wide Web

Cognitive psychology

Engineering

Neuroscience

Microblogging

Human multitasking

Social psychology

Cognition

Tracking (education)

Association (psychology)

Systems engineering

Pedagogy

Computer science

Stroop effect

Eye tracking

Eye movement

Distraction

Movement (music)

Aesthetics

Psychology

Task (project management)

Social media

Applied psychology

Psychotherapist

Artificial intelligence

Medicine

Physical medicine and rehabilitation

Perspective (graphical)

Information & Management

Drawing on scan-and-shift hypothesis and scattered attention hypothesis, this article attempted to explore the association between excessive social media use (ESMU) and distraction from an information engagement perspective. In study 1, the results, based on 743 questionnaires completed by Chinese college students, showed that ESMU is related to distraction in daily life. In Study 2, eye-tracking technology was used to investigate the distraction and performance of excessive microblog users when performing the modified Stroop task. The results showed that excessive microblog users had difficulties suppressing interference information than non-microblog users, resulting in poor performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The association between excessive social media use and distraction: An eye movement tracking study