{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:40:50Z","timestamp":1760060450552,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,22]],"date-time":"2025-08-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1755820800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Digital"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examines how Internet Addiction (IA) and negative affect relate to everyday memory lapses in Portuguese students and teachers. A cross-sectional sample of 254 participants (167 youth aged &lt; 25 years and 87 adults aged \u2265 25 years) completed validated instruments measuring IA, emotional states, and everyday memory lapses. Memory lapses were assessed with the Memory Lapses Questionnaire (QLM), which evaluates five factors: verbal distraction, failed actions, local\/geographical orientation, memory for names and faces, and recovery of misplaced objects. Structural equation modeling showed a strong direct effect of IA on memory lapses among adults (\u03b2 = 0.94, p = 0.002) and a small indirect effect via negative affect among youth (indirect \u03b2 = 0.08, p = 0.002), whereas the mediation was not significant in adults. IA correlated moderately (0.32 \u2264 r \u2264 0.45) with QLM subscales such as verbal distraction and spatial orientation, and youth reported more verbal distractions and orientation errors than adults. These findings suggest that excessive digital engagement impairs everyday memory, particularly attentional and spatial aspects, and that emotional disturbances contribute only modestly among younger users. This study highlights the need for age-tailored interventions addressing both maladaptive internet use and emotional regulation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/digital5030037","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,22]],"date-time":"2025-08-22T11:50:31Z","timestamp":1755863431000},"page":"37","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Digital Entanglement: The Influence of Internet Addiction and Negative Affect on Memory Functions\u2014A Structural Approach"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7277-5732","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Educational Sciences (IUCE), University of Salamanca, Paseo Canalejas, 169, 37008 Salamanca, Spain"},{"name":"TECHN&ART, Polytechnic University of Guarda, Av. Dr. Francisco S\u00e1 Carneiro, n.\u00ba 50, 6300-559 Guarda, Portugal"},{"name":"International Neurobehavioral Research Group (GIINCO), Colombian Institute of Neuropedagogy (ICN), Carrera 47 # 80-78, 80001 Barranquilla, Colombia"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5304-534X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sonia","family":"Casillas-Mart\u00edn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Educational Sciences (IUCE), University of Salamanca, Paseo Canalejas, 169, 37008 Salamanca, Spain"}]},{"given":"Ricardo","family":"Pocinho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CICS.NOVA, Polytechnic University of Leiria, 2400 Leiria, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"119","article-title":"The \u201conline brain\u201d: How the Internet may be changing our cognition","volume":"18","author":"Firth","year":"2019","journal-title":"World Psychiatry Off. J. World Psychiatr. 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