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• Sleep patterns response changes in adolescents
  Sharminique Ritchie
  Published on: 11 December 2020
• Media Usage and Sleep Patterns
  Brianna M Bosak
  Published on: 24 September 2020

• Published on: 11 December 2020

  Sleep patterns response changes in adolescents

  • Sharminique Ritchie, Nursing student University of The Bahamas

  In the current climate of the world regarding social media use, adolescents are a group that this phenomenon disproportionately effects. Upon reading, with great interest, the article authored by Scott, Biello, & Woods (2019), I found this study’s results and findings very interesting and provocative. This type of study is especially stimulating given the current social climate of the world, in which social media-use has become an integral part of everyday life. Before this study, there had been little empricial evidence to show that sleep is disrupted by social media use. Most previous studies focused on “screentime” use of adolescents as a opposed to singling out social media use for study. The authors point out the need for this due to the UK’s lack of evidence-based decision making. The problem statement of this study highlights that in paediatric nursing practice, there is a lack of solutions brought forth to address adolescents’ lack of sleep (Hamilton et al., 2020). Thé findings of this study can now be used to address the current issue of adolescents sleeping patterns in public health policy which is usually neglected according to the authors. The culturally based aspect of this problem delineates the need to target this amongst adolescents specifically as opposed to the general public. The data analyses help ensure that the results are valid since they give an accurate depiction of the probability of occurrence for sleep loss due to social media use. The analy...

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  In the current climate of the world regarding social media use, adolescents are a group that this phenomenon disproportionately effects. Upon reading, with great interest, the article authored by Scott, Biello, & Woods (2019), I found this study’s results and findings very interesting and provocative. This type of study is especially stimulating given the current social climate of the world, in which social media-use has become an integral part of everyday life. Before this study, there had been little empricial evidence to show that sleep is disrupted by social media use. Most previous studies focused on “screentime” use of adolescents as a opposed to singling out social media use for study. The authors point out the need for this due to the UK’s lack of evidence-based decision making. The problem statement of this study highlights that in paediatric nursing practice, there is a lack of solutions brought forth to address adolescents’ lack of sleep (Hamilton et al., 2020). Thé findings of this study can now be used to address the current issue of adolescents sleeping patterns in public health policy which is usually neglected according to the authors. The culturally based aspect of this problem delineates the need to target this amongst adolescents specifically as opposed to the general public. The data analyses help ensure that the results are valid since they give an accurate depiction of the probability of occurrence for sleep loss due to social media use. The analyses processes, using separate binomial logistic regression models, increases the precision of the results as opposed to a simple correlation test.
  While I agree with the study’s findings and dissemination of results, I believe that it is necessary to continue to do further studies in other regions where social media is popular amongst adolescents. Some studies, show that there is concern for adolescents’ social media use, however, there should be a distinction between social media use and social media stress when investigating the effects on adolescents (Schuur, Baumgarter, & Sumter, 2019). However, there are similar studies which confirm that social media use is a direct factor in causing adolescents to lose more sleep and even find a link to depression based on their family’s status (Hamilton, et al., 2020). Further, previous studies confirm the aforementioned study, indicating that adolescents’ sleep is indeed disrupted by both social media use and psychological problems which include depression (Woods & Scott, 2016). These results all correlate with the negative effects which parents wish to avoid their children being made privy to in the current social climate of the world. Therefore, this study gave important awareness for research and understanding of a current issue which is being faced worldwide along with the significant effects which the world cannot ignore.

  References
  Hamilton, J. L., Chand, S., Reinhardt, L., Ladouceur, C. D., Silk, J. S., Moreno, M., . . . Bylsma, L. M. (2020, August). Social media use predicts later sleep timing and greater sleep variability: An ecological momentary assessment study of youth at high and low familial risk for depression. Journal of Adolescence, 83, 112-130. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.07.009

  Schuur, W., Baumgarter, S. E., & Sumter, S. R. (2019). Social Media Use, Social Media Stress, and Sleep: Examining Cross-Sectional and. Health Communication, 34(5), 552-559. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1422101

  Scott, H., Biello, S. M., & Woods, H. C. (2019). Social media use and adolescent sleep. BMJ Open, 9, 1-9. doi: doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031161

  Woods, H. C., & Scott, H. (2016, August ). #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence, 51, 41-49. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.05.008

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  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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• Published on: 24 September 2020

  Media Usage and Sleep Patterns

  • Brianna M Bosak, student Franciscan University

  I found the results of this study very relatable and thought-provoking. Following and posting on social media is a major past time for many teenagers and young adults. The study found that those who spent the most time on their electronic devices, (five hours or more) also had much later bedtimes. Therefore, it is not surprising that the study links the amount of time spent on social media with poor sleeping patterns. The researchers pointed out as well that the use of social media is a reflection of our current culture and links it to negative effects and behaviors on today’s youth. It was found that very high social media users were more likely to have nightmares, feelings of depression, and anxiety. The researchers make suggestions for parents on how to manage the time that their children spend on media outlets, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. I thought the research was well balanced as it included a large number of participants aged 13-15 years from the U.K. I think this type of research is important to help parents evaluate how the use of social media is affecting their children’s lives. Adequate sleep is obviously necessary to be healthy, both physically and mentally. The study also links later sleep onset in students to poor academic performance and emotional fluctuations. The emphasis is placed on helping heavy social media users balance their online interactions appropriately. The research inspires parents to become more involved in monitoring...

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  I found the results of this study very relatable and thought-provoking. Following and posting on social media is a major past time for many teenagers and young adults. The study found that those who spent the most time on their electronic devices, (five hours or more) also had much later bedtimes. Therefore, it is not surprising that the study links the amount of time spent on social media with poor sleeping patterns. The researchers pointed out as well that the use of social media is a reflection of our current culture and links it to negative effects and behaviors on today’s youth. It was found that very high social media users were more likely to have nightmares, feelings of depression, and anxiety. The researchers make suggestions for parents on how to manage the time that their children spend on media outlets, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. I thought the research was well balanced as it included a large number of participants aged 13-15 years from the U.K. I think this type of research is important to help parents evaluate how the use of social media is affecting their children’s lives. Adequate sleep is obviously necessary to be healthy, both physically and mentally. The study also links later sleep onset in students to poor academic performance and emotional fluctuations. The emphasis is placed on helping heavy social media users balance their online interactions appropriately. The research inspires parents to become more involved in monitoring their children’s use and to come up with strategies to reduce the time they spend on media to improve their overall health, mental and physical.

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  Conflict of Interest:
  None declared.

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