Social media usage (SMU) and its relationship with working memory (WM) and academic performance remain unclear, and there is a lack of experimental evidence. We investigated whether WM mediates the association between SMU and academic performance, including the roles of depression, anxiety, and disordered social media use as possible contributors. A sample of 118 undergraduate students aged 19 to 28 from Saudi Arabia performed a WM test twice; for one assessment, participants were required to interact with social media before the test, and the other test was preceded by painting online. We also measured grade point average (GPA), habitual social media usage (SMU), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and disordered social media usage (SMDS). There was no significant difference between WM scores in the social media condition compared to the control condition, but when solely considering at least moderately depressed participants, social media use predicted significantly more errors in the social media condition compared to the control condition. Furthermore, higher SMDS scores were significantly predicted by higher PHQ-9 scores and more hours of habitual SMU. GPA scores were not predicted by WM performance or SMU. The present study is one of the first experimental attempts to compare the relationship between SMU and WM and highlights the priming effect of depression on the relationship between SMU and WM.

Background: According to the international classification system ICD -10 (International Classification of Diseases), doctors speak of a mild depressive episode if at least two main symptoms such as depressed mood and lack of drive and two additional symptoms such as feelings of guilt and sleep disorders occur. In a moderately depressed phase, there are two main symptoms and at least three, but no more than four other symptoms. Major depressive episodes are diagnosed when all three main symptoms and at least four additional symptoms are present. In addition, the complaints must last for at least two weeks. In the American classification system DSMIV is referred to as "major depression" (corresponds to a severe depressive episode) and "minor depression" in the case of a less severe episode. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study to spot light on the relationship between different chronic conditions and variables, specifically: age group, gender, medical specialty, years of experience, nationality, Vitamin D deficiency, Diabetes mellitus, and hypertension; and depression symptoms, among Saudi and non-Saudi medical staff in the KSA. Results and Conclusion: Results of this study concluded that there is a significant relationship found between depressive symptoms and gender, specialty, years of experience, and vitamin D deficiency. Relationship with age group, nationality, diabetes mellitus and hypertension, is not statistically significant. These results are concordant, in most parts of this study, with the previous studies in different times and regions, done for nearly similar purposes.