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Journals / Erciyes İletişim Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1

The Impact of Constant Online Presence and Multitasking Behavior on Cognitive Fatigue Among Generation Z University Students

Sürekli Çevrimiçi Olma ve Çoklu Görev Davranışının Z Kuşağı Üniversite Öğrencilerinde Bilişsel Yorgunluğa Etkisi

Yunus Emre Öksüz(ISTINYE UNIVERSITY)0000-0002-2952-3759
İrem Avcı(OZYEGIN UNIVERSITY)0009-0004-9013-1262
Vesile Şevval Çukutli(ÖZYEĞİN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0000-9966-973X
Pages
21–43
Publication Date
2026-01-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

It was found that multiple screen use is a significant and strong predictor of brain fog; in particular, the subscale compulsive use highly explains overall brain fog levels.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Brain fog refers to attention deficits, mental cloudiness, and forgetfulness linked to cognitive fatigue, with factors such as multitasking, fear of missing out, and constant online engagement contributing to its occurrence.
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Key Findings & Data:Data were collected from 295 university students in Turkey via an online survey.
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Conclusion & Impact:It was found that multiple screen use is a significant and strong predictor of brain fog; in particular, the subscale compulsive use highly explains overall brain fog levels.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Beyin Sisi · Bilişsel Yorgunluk · Sosyal Medya

Abstract

Brain fog refers to attention deficits, mental cloudiness, and forgetfulness linked to cognitive fatigue, with factors such as multitasking, fear of missing out, and constant online engagement contributing to its occurrence. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship and predictive effects of fear of missing out (FoMO) related to social media and multi-screen use on brain fog symptoms in Generation Z university students. The study was conducted using a correlational survey model and a quantitative research design. Data were collected from 295 university students in Turkey via an online survey. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and simple and multiple regression analyses were applied to the data analysis. A strong and significant relationship was found between the behavior of being constantly online (FoMO) and brain fog levels. It was found that multiple screen use is a significant and strong predictor of brain fog; in particular, the subscale compulsive use highly explains overall brain fog levels. It was determined that the social subscale of FoMO has a high level of effect on both psychological and physical brain fog symptoms.

Özet

Beyin sisi son yıllarda sıkça tartışılan dikkat dağınıklığı, zihinsel bulanıklık, unutkanlık gibi bilişsel yorgunlukla ilişkilendirilen semptomlarla tanımlanan bir kavram olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Beyin sisinde çoklu görev, gelişmeleri kaçırma korkusu, sürekli çevrimiçi olma arzusu gibi birçok neden etkili olmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı Z kuşağı üniversite öğrencilerinde sosyal medyaya bağlı gelişmeleri kaçırma korkusu (FoMO) ve çoklu ekran kullanımının beyin sisi belirtileri üzerindeki ilişkisini ve yordayıcı etkilerini incelemektir. Çalışma ilişkisel tarama modeliyle yürütülmüş ve nicel bir araştırma deseni kullanılmıştır. Veriler Türkiye'deki 295 üniversite öğrencisinden çevrimiçi anket yoluyla toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde betimsel istatistikler Pearson korelasyon analizi, basit ve çoklu regresyon analizleri uygulanmıştır. Sürekli çevrimiçi olma davranışı (FoMO) ile beyin sisi düzeyleri arasında güçlü ve anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmıştır. Çoklu ekran kullanımının beyin sisi üzerinde anlamlı ve güçlü bir yordayıcı olduğu bulunmuş; özellikle kompulsif kullanım alt boyutu genel beyin sisi düzeylerini yüksek oranda açıklamıştır. FoMO’nun sosyal alt boyutunun hem psikolojik hem de fiziksel beyin sisi belirtileri üzerinde yüksek düzeyde etkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

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Cite This Article

Öksüz, Y. E., Avcı, İ., Çukutli, V. Ş. (2026). The Impact of Constant Online Presence and Multitasking Behavior on Cognitive Fatigue Among Generation Z University Students. Erciyes İletişim Dergisi, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 1, 21–43. https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.1760001

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