JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Social media use is associated with poor sleep among adolescents, including daytime sleepiness, which impacts adolescents’ mental health. Less research has examined the associations between specific aspects of social media, such as frequency of checking and posting and perceived importance of social media for social belonging, and daytime sleepiness. Identifying whether certain adolescents are more at risk or protected from the effects of social media on sleepiness than others may inform future interventions around social media, sleep, and mental health.

Objective:

The study aimed to examine the association between social media use frequency and importance and daytime sleepiness, and whether perceived importance of social media for social interactions and parental rules around bedtime technology moderated these relationships.

Methods:

This cross-sectional, survey study was conducted with a sample of 4,153 adolescents from across the United States. Qualtrics was used to collect data via panel recruitment from a national sample representing the US demographics of teens aged 12-17 years old. Participants completed measures of daytime sleepiness, frequency of social media checking and posting, and importance of social media for social interactions. Parents reported whether they had a household rule around bedtime media and screen use. Hierarchical regressions and moderation analyses were conducted, covarying for age, gender, and age of first smartphone.

Results:

Participants had a mean age of 14.64 (SD 1.66) years in grades 6-12, and 46% (n=1929) identified as female and 68% (n=2821) as White. Results indicated that adolescents who posted (B = .70, SE = .04, P<.001) or checked (B = .76, SE = .04, P<.001) social media more frequently or who perceived social media to be more important for social belonging (B = .36, SE = .02, P<.001) had higher levels of daytime sleepiness. Moderation analyses indicated that the relationship between social media frequency and daytime sleepiness was exacerbated by higher levels of perceived social media importance (B = .04, SE = .01, P<.001). Adolescents without household rules around bedtime technology use were more likely to be affected by social media checking (B = -.34, SE = .09, P<.001) and importance (B = -.16, SE = .04, P<.001) on daytime sleepiness.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that social media frequency and perceived importance for social interactions are associated with daytime sleepiness among adolescents. It is important to consider youth perceptions of social media when assessing the potential effects of social media frequency on youth well-being. Further, youth who did not have parental rules around bedtime technology use were most likely to be affected by social media use and importance. Findings may extend to other mental health outcomes, and may guide future prevention and intervention programs designed to improve social media use, sleep, and mental health.