The use of social media among students has gained significant attention due to its potential impact on academic performance, characterized by both positive and negative effects. However, limited research exists regarding the different types of excessive social media use and their influence on academic performance. In this innovative study, we aim to differentiate excessive social, hedonic and cognitive use of social media and investigate the mediating role of media multitasking and attention problems in predicting academic performance. The survey data from 887 high school students were analyzed using PLS-SEM techniques. The results revealed that both excessive social and hedonic media usages were positively associated with media multitasking, but excessive cognitive use had a negative impact on media multitasking. This tendency to engage in multitasking was found to be linked to attention problems, which ultimately led to decreased academic performance. These findings highlight the potential pitfalls of excessive social media use, encouraging students to focus on a single task can help mitigate the negative effects associated with social media use. These findings emphasize the risks of excessive social media use and the benefits of concentrating on singular tasks. Moreover, they enrich our understanding of students' social media usage types and underscore the importance of fostering more productive digital habits, ultimately bolstering academic achievements.