The Relationship Between Social Media Dependency and Emotional Problems: The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality

Abstract

Increased vulnerability for emotional problems and increased social media dependency is characterized for adolescence according to previous cross-sectional studies, including the effect of sleep quality. Despite cross-sectional evidence, little is known about whether there is a bidirectional relationship between social media dependency and emotional problems or a mediating effect of sleep quality. Therefore, this longitudinal quantitative research examined the bidirectional relationship between social media dependency and emotional problems and whether this is mediated by sleep quality. The sample consisted of 812 adolescents (Mage= 12.64, SDage = 0.734, 49.9% boys, 50.1% girls). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that adolescents with higher levels of social media dependency experienced more emotional problems. No significant relationship was found between emotional problems and social media dependency. The relationship between social media dependency and emotional problems was fully mediated by sleep quality. A direction for future research is exploring other underlying mediating factors of the relationship between social media dependency and emotional problems, because little is known about it longitudinally. In addition, schools can also look at the positive effect of sleep quality, which may help in reducing emotional problems among adolescents.