Associations between positive and negative social media experiences and sleep disturbance among young adults

Trading likes for sleepless nights: A lifespan investigation of social media and sleep

OBJECTIVES

The present study sought to examine the association between social media use and sleep and whether the association differed by age.

METHODS

Total 3,284 adults (M age = 42.74, SD = 16.72; 48.5% female; 80.8% White) participated in an online study of sleep and health across the lifespan. Sleep quality and duration were assessed using the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Participants reported the total time they spent using social media daily.

RESULTS

Greater social media use was associated with poorer sleep quality (P < .001) and shorter sleep duration (P= .002). Age moderated the relationship between social media use and sleep quality (P= .006), as well as duration (P= .001). The strength of the associations between social media and sleep increased with age.

CONCLUSION

The findings highlight potential adverse sleep outcomes associated with social media use. They also provide preliminary evidence suggesting the need for further exploration of age-related processes involved in social media use and sleep.

Association Between LGB Sexual Orientation and Depression Mediated by Negative Social Media Experiences: National Survey Study of US Young Adults

BACKGROUND

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons are disproportionately affected by depression and have high social media use rates. Negative social media experiences may modify depressive symptoms among LGB persons. We sought to assess the potential influence of negative social media experiences on the association between LGB orientation and depression.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the potential influence of negative social media experiences on the association between LGB orientation and depression.

METHODS

We performed a web-based survey of a national sample of US young adults aged 18-30 years. We assessed the respondents' LGB orientation, negative social media experiences, and depression using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. We used generalized structural equation modeling to assess both the direct and indirect effects (via negative social media experiences) of LGB orientation on depression while controlling for relevant demographic and personal characteristics.

RESULTS

We found a conditional indirect effect (ab path) of LGB orientation on depressive symptoms via negative social media experience (a: observed coefficient 0.229; P<.001; bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% CI 0.162-0.319, and b: observed coefficient 2.158; P<.001; bias-corrected bootstrapped 95% CI 1.840-2.494). The results show that among LGB respondents, for those who reported negative social media experiences in the past year, a 1 unit increase in these experiences was associated with a 0.494 unit increase in depressive symptomatology.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that higher rates of depression among LGB young adults are partially explained by negative social media experiences; these results could help inform future patient/provider conversations about mental health risk and protective factors related to social media use. Reducing these experiences and increasing positive social media experiences among LGB persons may mitigate depressive symptomatology in this population.