The impact of social media use on emotional regulation and sleep quality among college students.

Project Abstract

This study investigates how social media use influences emotional regulation and sleep quality among college students, examining whether patterns of engagement (frequency, duration, and content type) predict difficulties in modulating emotions and alterations in sleep architecture. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with a diverse sample of 600 undergraduate students (aged 18–25) recruited from multiple disciplines across three universities. Measures included the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Global sleep assessment, and a social media use questionnaire detailing time of day, platform variety, and habitual checking behavior. Additionally, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with a subset of 40 participants to capture nuanced mechanisms linking social media experiences to emotional processes and sleep patterns. Data were analyzed using multiple regression to test a priori hypotheses and structural equation modeling to examine mediated pathways, with qualitative data thematically analyzed to triangulate quantitative findings. Results indicate that higher daily social media use and late-evening engagement are significantly associated with poorer sleep quality (? = .28, p < .01; ? = .33, p < .001 for midnight usage) and longer sleep latency, reduced sleep efficiency, and increased nocturnal awakenings. Emotional regulation difficulties—particularly impulsivity in emotion regulation and catastrophizing—partially mediate the relationship between late-night social media use and sleep disturbances, accounting for approximately 42% of the variance in sleep quality outcomes. The quality of online interactions emerged as a moderator platforms characterized by supportive comments and constructive feedback buffered negative associations, whereas exposure to cyberbullying, social comparison, and negative feedback amplified them. Age, gender, and baseline mental health status moderated certain pathways, with female students showing stronger associations between social media use and rumination, and students with pre-existing anxiety reporting greater sleep disruption in relation to social media triggers. Qualitative findings corroborate the quantitative results, revealing three core mechanisms (1) rumination fueled by social comparison and fear of missing out (FOMO) during passive scrolling; (2) heightened physiological arousal from notifications and social validation seeking; and (3) disrupted circadian cues due to blue-light exposure and irregular sleep schedules, leading to fragmentation of REM sleep. The study advances theoretical understanding by integrating emotion regulation frameworks with sleep-health models and social media use theories, highlighting the bidirectional relationship between affective processes and sleep in the digital age. Practical implications emphasize the need for university-based interventions that promote mindful social media use, digital well-being education, and sleep hygiene programs, particularly targeting late-evening usage and online environments that cultivate supportive interactions. Policy recommendations include campus initiatives to regulate late-night notification exposure and to foster peer-support networks, while academic curricula should incorporate media literacy and emotion regulation skills as components of student mental health strategies. Overall, findings suggest that, while social media can offer social connectedness that benefits emotional regulation under certain conditions, excessive and poorly moderated use—especially at night—poses tangible risks to sleep quality and emotional well-being among college students.

Project Overview

What This Project Is About

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A plain-language overview of how using social media might influence how young adults manage their emotions and how well they sleep, focusing on college students and everyday use patterns.

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The Problem It Addresses

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Many students report mood fluctuations and sleep problems, but it is unclear how different social media habits contribute to these issues. This project explores whether anxiety, mood regulation, and sleep quality are linked to time spent online, types of platforms used, and the way content is interacted with.

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Objectives of the Project

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1. Describe typical social media use patterns among college students.
2. Examine the relationship between usage and emotional regulation.
3. Assess the association between usage and sleep quality.
4. Identify any moderating factors (e.g., screen time before bed, loneliness).
5. Suggest practical guidelines to improve sleep and emotional health.

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What You Will Do Step by Step

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1) Review existing studies on social media, emotion, and sleep. 2) Design a simple survey to collect data on habits and well-being. 3) Recruit a sample of college students and administer the survey. 4) Analyze relationships using basic statistics (correlations). 5) Interpret findings and discuss practical implications. 6) Write up results with clear recommendations.

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Expected Outcome

Anticipated findings include identifying specific usage patterns linked to poorer sleep or emotional regulation, plus practical steps students can take to reduce negative effects and improve overall well-being.