Research Article

Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms

Volume: 11 Number: 2 June 20, 2026
TR EN

Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms

Abstract

Social media users overexert their mental resources by being exposed to a constant flow of information. This situation triggers cognitive fatigue symptoms such as difficulty in focusing, mental fuzziness and decreased decision-making capacity. Cognitive fatigue can negatively affect creativity by reducing the effectiveness of attention, flexible thinking and problem-solving skills necessary for creative thinking processes. The aim of this study is to reveal the effects of digital environments on creative potential by examining the relationships between social media use, cognitive fatigue and creativity in art and design students. The study, which was conducted with a quantitative and cross-sectional survey model, included 196 undergraduate students (122 female and 74 male) from the Faculties of Fine Arts and Design of universities in Turkey. The data were analyzed with SPSS 30.0 program. Correlation, simple linear regression, one-way ANOVA, MANOVA and post-hoc Games-Howell test were used in data analysis. The findings showed that cognitive fatigue increased, and creative thinking decreased as the level of social media use increased. In addition, cognitive fatigue and creativity levels of students using different social media platforms differ significantly. Social media use negatively explains a significant portion of the change in creativity. The findings point to the need to develop digital media strategies to preserve creative potential.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted with the approval of the ethics committee obtained at the meeting dated 02.05.2025 (Meeting No: 2025/05).

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Communication Technology and Digital Media Studies, Communication and Media Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 20, 2026

Submission Date

August 31, 2025

Acceptance Date

June 4, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 2

APA
Öksüz, Y. E., & Avcı, İ. (2026). Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms. Uluslararası İnsan Ve Sanat Araştırmaları Dergisi, 11(2), 309-328. https://izlik.org/JA46SX72AH
AMA
1.Öksüz YE, Avcı İ. Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms. IJHAR. 2026;11(2):309-328. https://izlik.org/JA46SX72AH
Chicago
Öksüz, Yunus Emre, and İrem Avcı. 2026. “Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms”. Uluslararası İnsan Ve Sanat Araştırmaları Dergisi 11 (2): 309-28. https://izlik.org/JA46SX72AH.
EndNote
Öksüz YE, Avcı İ (June 1, 2026) Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms. Uluslararası İnsan ve Sanat Araştırmaları Dergisi 11 2 309–328.
IEEE
[1]Y. E. Öksüz and İ. Avcı, “Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms”, IJHAR, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 309–328, June 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA46SX72AH
ISNAD
Öksüz, Yunus Emre - Avcı, İrem. “Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms”. Uluslararası İnsan ve Sanat Araştırmaları Dergisi 11/2 (June 1, 2026): 309-328. https://izlik.org/JA46SX72AH.
JAMA
1.Öksüz YE, Avcı İ. Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms. IJHAR. 2026;11:309–328.
MLA
Öksüz, Yunus Emre, and İrem Avcı. “Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms”. Uluslararası İnsan Ve Sanat Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 11, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 309-28, https://izlik.org/JA46SX72AH.
Vancouver
1.Yunus Emre Öksüz, İrem Avcı. Cognitive Fatigue and Creativity in Art and Design Students: Insights from TikTok, Pinterest, and Other Social Media Platforms. IJHAR [Internet]. 2026 Jun. 1;11(2):309-28. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA46SX72AH

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International Journal of Human and Art Studies İJHAR; Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

International Journal of Human and Art Studies IJHAR has been registered with the decision of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, numbered 71248886-2020/24446 / E.2020-OE-458377.