Effect of Social Media on Cognitive Processes and Emotional States in University Teaching Staff

Abstract

Social media provide tools for sharing information and ideas. Various social nets have become daily routine for many teachers. The article describes the effect of social media on the cognitive processes and emotional manifestations in university academic personnel, i.e., attention span, memory capacity, and emotional status. The attention span and memory tests included those developed by J. R. Stroop, J. E. Raymond, K. L. Shapiro, and K. M. Arnell. The emotion tests included the PANAS method as adapted by E. N. Osin. A long-term interaction with social media affected the attention span, short-term memory, and emotional state of the participants. Those subjected to social media demonstrated a shorter attention-span compared to their own results before the exposure: they had a longer reaction time and could not concentrate on the tasks. The participants also experienced problems with remembering information: they had quite good short-term memory but failed to reproduce the information as required. They also reported an adverse effect of social media on their emotional state. The research prospects may include ways to optimize the use of social media by academics to increase their professional effectiveness.

Keywords

• cognitive processes
• social media
• university teaching personnel
• attention span
• short-term memory
• mood