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Written by: Edas Chiume
Getting an efficient amount of sleep as a college student or young adult can be tough. With numerous amounts of assignments or full-time job responsibilities, it is hard to find time for yourself. Those are not the only factors decreasing our sleep. Social media and television are said to be a couple of the reasons why college students and young adults don’t get enough sleep.
A study called “All Night Long: Problematic Media Use Is Differentially Associated with Sleep Quality and Depression by Medium” discusses these reasons. The researchers focused on the consumption of video-on-demand (VOD) television and social media to view if they are detrimental to sleep and mental help. In the study, it was found that “problematic viewing of VOD television and problematic social media use were both associated with a greater incidence of sleep disruption while problematic viewing broadcast television was not”.
As college students and young adults social media and television are part of our everyday lives. For example, when winding down for bed you might promise yourself 30 minutes on social media and then you go to bed. Those 30 minutes end up being 45 minutes, then an hour, and maybe even two hours. Now you’ve only slept for 6 or 5 hours before your 9 a.m. class or shift the next morning.
Although we do not watch as much cable television anymore, streaming services are more prevalent. As someone who puts on a show on Netflix or Hulu as “background” noise while I work on schoolwork, it does not always work well. The majority of my focus is on the new show that I am binge-watching or the childhood movie I found. This delays the time I have to do my schoolwork or other things. This results in me sleeping later than intended to finish my work.
In these occasions lack of sleep can be detrimental to your mental health. Not getting enough sleep can be related to depression especially when social media is involved. In Eden, Ellithorpe, Meshi Ulusoy, and Grady’s study it was found that “for depression; problematic social media use was significantly associated with higher reporting of depression symptoms, while problematic viewing of broadcast and VOD television were not, although VOD was marginally significant. Sleep disruption and depression were positively correlated”.
This is a reminder to put the electronics down when you intend to sleep. Try not to prolong your time on social media before bed because the video you saw was funny and you want to wait until it is over. “I’ll be on TikTok for another 5 minutes and go to bed” never ends up being just 5 minutes. You do not need to add stress to your daily life due to lack of sleep.
Studies have shown mental health issues such as depression arise due to social media and television. This may be from the way people view others and themselves or late-night viewing. Many people tend to compare themselves to others on social media. Whether it may be because of the way someone looks or the way they perceive themselves on social media. People can also compare themselves to TV characters as well. Comments on social media are harsh sometimes which can bring people down mentally.
Lastly, I would recommend taking a detox from either social media or television. This should be done if you have noticed that one of these kinds of entertainment has affected you. The detox can take place for one to two weeks, it is your choice. The purpose is to not think about social media or television and live your life as if it never existed. Some people say that it is freeing, relaxing, and less stressful. You will find that you do not need to be attached to your phone or the apps that you are constantly on. Hopefully, this will help with your mental health and better sleep journey.
All night long: problematic media use is differentially associated with sle…
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