A new study from researchers at Western University has called for greater investigation into the effects of social media use on sleep and mental health in young people.
Published in December, the review examines 42 previous studies on similar topics and links excessive use of social media to poor sleep quality and negative impact on mental health.
“We need to pay more public health attention to the importance of sleep hygiene, especially among younger people,” said Dr. Saverio Stranges, one of the research team’s senior investigators.
Among Canadian youth, social media usage is widespread. In 2019, 93 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 30 used social networking sites.
According to Rea Alonzo, a contributing author to the study and a master’s student at Western, the versatility of social media is a key reason behind its popularity among youth.
“Since social media is so widespread, it’s used not only as an outlet to express oneself and connect with friends, but it’s also commonly used academically for university students to form study groups, communicate with colleagues, and plan and advertise student-run events on campus,” Alonzo said.
Despite the benefits of social media use, the review highlighted previous research which showed 60 per cent of young adults reported using screens an hour before bedtime.
The review also noted that young people are at a higher risk of experiencing the adverse effects of social media, especially when coupled with poor sleep schedules due to late-night screen time.
All of these factors, Alonzo said, underscore the necessity of the review.
“Given the negative health impacts that poor sleep has on mental health, I believe it’s important to investigate how social media use, sleep, and mental health are related to one another,” Alonzo said.
By assessing different observational studies, the systemic review concludes that social media can contribute directly to poorer mental health, or indirectly by contributing to poorer sleep.
The review cites previous research about the effects of cellphone use before bed, and says exposure to the phone’s electromagnetic field can reduce the production of melatonin, a hormone which triggers sleepiness.
The researchers also highlighted studies which discovered late night social media use increased mental stimulation and cognitive arousal, which made it more difficult to fall and stay asleep.
When asked for their thoughts on the review’s findings, several students agreed with its conclusions and discussed how using social media before bed meant ending up affecting their mental health and sleep patterns.
Alex Chan, a first-year Carleton student in Shopify’s Dev Degree program, said social media can create feelings of inadequacy. “You see the best of other people’s lives, so you don’t feel as good about yourself,” he said.
However, some students find social media can have positive effects on their mental health.
Amber Wu, a second-year medical sciences student at Western, said she enjoys scrolling through positive quotes accounts and following professionals in her field. “It gives me the motivation to work,” Wu said.
With the ongoing lockdown in Ontario, social media has become a valuable tool for students to stay busy or communicate with friends and family.
Acknowledging that many people rely on social media to stay connected, Stranges advised setting boundaries to limit social media use throughout the day.
He also said the public needs to prioritize sleep hygiene in the same way they do diet and exercise. To Stranges, sleep hygiene needs to be part of lifestyle planning.
“It’s important that we raise awareness on the importance of sleep hygiene to keep good general well-being across [our] lifespan,” Stranges said.
While scrolling through Instagram before bed may seem harmless, Stranges encourages students to acknowledge the toll it can have on their everyday mental wellness and consider trading screen time for more sleep time.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
