According to researchers spending hours on social media at bedtime disturbs and reduces sleep leading to depression and anxiety among teenagers.
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The findings of the research are being presented at the BPS Developmental and Social Psychology Section annual conference in Manchester.
Moreover, although the completion of the questionnaire is exclusively based on self-reports, the researchers emphasized that there is a strong guidance to the participants in order to gather accurate and credible data.
A study conducted by Glasgow University has found night time social media users are particularly prone to mental health problems.
The study looked at 460 teenagers in a secondary school in Scotland, who were questioned about their social media habits.
The goal of the study is certainly not to demonize social media use.
Teens are being confronted with new stress in their lives from social media which may be more demanding on their emotional well being than their homework.
“Turn off the devices and the blue light, stop checking emails and social media, and allow yourself time to finish your day”, Woods told Live Science.
Researchers say that it is not just the teens who are facing this problem but even those who lead a modern and hectic lifestyle and keep a tab on several times at the same time using technology.
In the study, researchers asked 467 teenagers ages 11 to 17 about their use of social media during the day and at night. In another study, published this year in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, frequent social media use in teens was tied to an increased risk of poor mental health.
The analysis revealed that overall and night-time specific social media use along with emotional investment were related to poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem as well as higher anxiety and depression levels.
Dr Woods also proposes the concept of a “digital sunset”.
To better understand the reasons for the link between social media use and wellbeing, the team says further research is required.
Social media is gaining popularity like never before, with new platforms like Snapchat, Vine and Instagram taking the Millennials by storm.
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In 2012, a study by Anxiety United Kingdom found that respondents use technology primarily for online socialising, and 45 per cent of them became anxious or edgy without access to social media.
