Social media flow and academic procrastination (SoMe FlAP) project across cultures: A protocol for measurement and structural modeling in three regions

Abstract

Background: Although social media flow is often viewed as an ideal state marked by deep absorption, its potential to develop into dysregulated behaviors, such as phubbing and academic procrastination, remains a vital yet under-studied area, especially in non-Western settings. It is unclear whether these harmful outcomes mainly stem from a failure of self-regulation or from a separate pathological pathway driven by fear of missing out (FoMO) and addictive behaviors. Additionally, the lack of measurement tools validated across cultures hinders accurate comparisons of these psychological processes across societies. This protocol presents a multinational project (i.e., Social Media Flow and Academic Procrastination [SoMe FlAP] Project) aimed at addressing these gaps by establishing measurement invariance and testing theory-based structural models in regions (Türkiye, Ghana, and Hong Kong) with diverse cultures. Methods: The project will use a multifactorial, complex, predictive correlational design with a cross-sectional survey approach. A target sample of 1500 youths (i.e., 18 years and older) will be recruited through convenience sampling from higher education institutions (N = 500 per region). Data will be collected via a secure, web-based platform (i.e., REDCap) or on printed paper. The assessment set will include culturally adapted measures of the Social Media Flow Scale, the Social Media-Focused FoMO Scale, the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale, the Generic Scale of Phubbing, Social Digital Pressure Scale, the Social Overload Scale, Social Network Site Exhaustion Scale, Social Media Continuance Scale, Brief Self-Control Scale, and Academic Procrastination Scale. Analysis Plan: The analytical strategy will be structured around two complementary workstreams. Workstream One aims to establish cross-cultural measurement invariance (configural, metric, and scalar) for all constructs using Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA). Workstream Two will employ Hayes’ Process macro to test four specific hypothetical models: (1) a moderated mediation model connecting flow to phubbing through FoMO and smartphone addiction; (2) a model exploring the buffering effect of self-control on the relationship between flow and academic procrastination; (3) a moderated mediation model examining how social digital pressure and overload influence discontinuation intentions; and (4) a model assessing the particular pathological pathway from flow to academic procrastination mediated by addiction symptoms. Additionally, other explorative analyses will be done, including Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) to identify distinct psychosocial user profiles. Discussion/Implications: This project aims to create a strong, culturally validated psychometric toolkit to assist future studies on digital well-being in Türkiye, Ghana, and Hong Kong. By clearly distinguishing between regulatory deficits and compulsive behaviors, the findings will provide detailed insights into the causes of digital dysregulation. The results will guide the development of culturally appropriate educational and clinical strategies to promote digital resilience among youth in different cultural contexts.