Relatively little is known about the behavioral

The gap

Evidence profile

Stated in the limitations and abstract and discussion and cells future research sections of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2010 and 2026, spanning 5 journals. Those papers have been cited 696 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 5 representative gaps

• Neurocognitive function among individuals with problematic social media use (2026) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi

  Author contributions This is a cross-sectional study, so no inferences about causality can be made. Secondly, the majority of participants (80%) were women, and there is evidence that they perform better on cognitive tasks measuring impulsivity, such as delay discounting, but the effect is moderated by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle (81). Third, the BSMAS may create a potential classification bias since it includes the 6 components of addiction. There are other questionnaires assessing dimensions of social networking use, but they do not assess components of excessive or problematic social media use, which are important in order to determine impulsivity and compulsivity. Fourth, there was no correlation between sub- jective reports of impulsivity or compulsivity and cognitive tasks’ performance, suggesting that these examine different cognitive mechanisms. Perhaps tasks that utilize social media stimuli are better suited to detect impulsivity and compulsivity. Finally, assess- ing compulsivity using cognitive tasks is problematic, and very few studies have shown cognitive impairments in clinical or subclinical populations like excessive users of the internet.

  generalstated in limitationsevidence 5/5
  Keywords: cognitive tasks impulsivity compulsivity there social better components assess excessive problematic media author contributions cross
• Internet Addiction or Excessive Internet Use (2010) · The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse · cited 650× · doi

  CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Although Internet-addicted individuals have difficulty suppressing their excessive online behaviors in real life, little is known about the patho-physiological and cognitive mechanisms responsible for Internet addiction.

  generalstated in abstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: internet conclusions scientific significance addicted individuals difficulty suppressing excessive online behaviors real life little known
• The Mediating Effect of Loneliness on the Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Attachment Styles: A Multiple Mediation Model Study (2026) · Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi · doi

  Despite increased awareness and numerous studies on behavioral addictions, particularly social media addiction, the full scope remains unclear due to challenges in defining its impact area. This study aims to support preventive research on the development of social media addiction and contribute to closing the existing gap in the literature by raising awareness.

  generalstated in discussionevidence 5/5
  Keywords: awareness social media addiction despite increased numerous behavioral addictions particularly full scope remains unclear challenges
• Social Media Addiction on Health-Related Risk-Taking Behaviors through Social Comparison among Young Adults (2026) · International Journal of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Psychology · doi

  Future research should continue to explore the relationship between social media addiction, social comparison, and health-related risk-taking behaviors. - Longitudinal studies could provide insight into the causal relationships between these variables.

  generalstated in cells future researchevidence 5/5
  Keywords: future research continue explore relationship between social media
• Neural substrates of risky decision making in individuals with Internet addiction (2015) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · cited 46× · doi

  However, relatively little is known about the behavioral and neural mechanisms that underlie Internet addiction, especially with respect to risky decision making, which is an important domain frequently reported in other types of addictions.

  generalstated in abstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: relatively little known behavioral neural mechanisms underlie internet addiction especially respect risky decision making important

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