The Relationship Between Digital Fatigue and Academic Procrastination Among Preclinical Medical Students: A Two-Center Cross-Sectional Study

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Okyar Ç., Saraç D. B., Özer Z. Y., Tengiz F. İ., Yüce S.

MEANDROS MEDICAL AND DENTAL JOURNAL, cilt.27, sa.2, ss.193-203, 2026 (ESCI, TRDizin)

Özet

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between digital fatigue and academic procrastination among preclinical medical students and to evaluate learning-related behavioral patterns such as screen time, study habits, break frequency, and perceived academic achievement. Materials and Methods: This two-center, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted among first- to third-year medical students at Çukurova University and İzmir Katip Çelebi University during the 2025– 2026 academic year. Data were collected via an online questionnaire. The level of digital fatigue was measured using the Digital Fatigue Scale (DFS), and academic procrastination was assessed with the Turkish short form of the Tuckman Procrastination Scale (TPS). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post-hoc tests were used for statistical analysis. A significance level of p < 0.05 was adopted. Results: A total of 268 preclinical medical students participated in the study. A strong positive correlation was found between digital fatigue and academic procrastination (r = 0.595, p < 0.001). Among the subscales, the association between digital dependency and academic procrastination was the strongest (r = 0.601, p < 0.001). Students from Çukurova University had significantly higher DFS and TPS scores than those from İzmir Katip Çelebi University (p < 0.01). Students with regular study habits demonstrated significantly lower levels of digital fatigue (p < 0.001). Increasing daily screen time was associated with higher levels of both digital fatigue (r = 0.292, p < 0.001) and academic procrastination (r = 0.221, p < 0.001). Lower perceived academic achievement corresponded to higher DFS and TPS scores (p ≤ 0.003). No significant difference was found based on neuropsychiatric diagnosis or treatment status (p > 0.05). Although differences across break frequency groups were not statistically significant, an increasing trend in fatigue and procrastination scores was observed with more frequent breaks. Conclusion: There is a strong and significant relationship between digital fatigue and academic procrastination among preclinical medical students. Increased screen exposure, irregular study habits, and lower perceived academic achievement appear to be associated with higher levels of both digital fatigue and procrastination. These findings highlight the importance of educational approaches that enhance students’ self-regulation skills and promote digital hygiene practices within increasingly digitalized learning environments. Keywords: Digital fatigue; Academic procrastination; Medical students; Screen time; Self-regulation; Digital learning