How digital stress affects academic procrastination and subjective well-being: mediating effect of ego depletion

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of digital media tools and applications may influence aspects of university students’ lives. Excessive use of these digital applications is associated with increased stress and potentially adverse outcomes related to academic achievement. This study examined the effect of digital stress on academic procrastination and psychological well-being, and whether ego depletion played a mediating role in these relationships. METHODS: The hypotheses formulated for this purpose were tested within the framework of the analysis of data collected through a survey using a quantitative research design. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 using convenience sampling to collect 768 data points from undergraduate students enrolled in university programmes in Rize, Türkiye. Hayes’ Process macro was used for the mediation analysis. RESULTS: The effect of digital stress subdimensions on academic procrastination is positive and significant. The effect of digital stress on psychological well-being (excluding availability stress and online vigilance) is negative and significant. Ego depletion plays a mediating role in both the effect of digital stress on academic procrastination (excluding availability stress) and psychological well-being (excluding availability stress). The effect of academic procrastination on both psychological well-being and academic achievement is negative and significant. Psychological well-being has a positive and significant effect on academic achievement. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study show that students are negatively affected by digital stress. Digital stress increases ego depletion, which delays the fulfilment of important academic responsibilities. It can also undermine students’ positive perceptions of their lives. These effects may also stem from ego depletion. Consequently, students may be susceptible to the detrimental impact of digital media tools when striving for academic achievement. The study offers theoretical and practical recommendations for researchers and university administrators.