Not now, maybe later: the mediating influence of techno-overload on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and procrastination

The rise of online and hybrid learning in universities, especially due to the pandemic, has not only revolutionized how students learn, but also blurred the boundaries between work, school, and leisure activities because of the pervasive use of technology surrounding students in their daily lives. The purpose of this study is to investigate, using coping theory, the relationships among academic self-efficacy, academic procrastination, and techno-overload, three constructs especially crucial in the current education climate. Using a sample of 179 undergraduate students, we found that techno-overload partially mediates the relationship between academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination. This finding demonstrates that techno-overload helps further explain how academic self-efficacy is negatively associated with procrastination. Specifically, academic self-efficacy is negatively related to techno-overload which is then positively linked to procrastination. Consistent with coping theory, our findings highlight the importance of mitigating technology-related stress in order to reduce academic procrastination. Implications and future research directions are discussed.