. K. O. Otokiti

This mixed-methods research investigates the impact of User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design on the mental health and emotional wellbeing of university students. Driven by the observation that platform engagement models often prioritize retention over psychological safety, the study combined a theoretical analysis of Cognitive Load and Emotional Design theories with an empirical survey of 120 students from the University of Benin ($N=120$). Quantitative analysis revealed that the primary psychological burden on students is cognitive and social overload (Content Overwhelm $\mu=4.06$; Overwhelmed by Features $\mu=4.10$; Pressure to be Perfect $\mu=3.94$), rather than simple notification distraction ($\mu=2.89$). Despite students confirming support features are easy to find ($\mu=4.24$), their high stress levels indicated a significant mismatch between generic solutions and their specific needs. Qualitative thematic analysis reinforced these findings, identifying an explicit user demand for features that offer control over content feeds, limiting of compulsive scrolling, and pausing of "rowdy" group chats. The study concludes that current UI/UX practices impose an unnecessary emotional strain on students. Based on this validated evidence, the research proposes the "Emotionally-Aware Focus Interface" (Student Mode) framework, which features Mindful Content Curation and a Calm UI Override. These recommendations aim to facilitate a necessary transition from engagement-maximizing design to a practice prioritizing user focus, cognitive clarity, and emotional balance.