Problematic Social Media Use may be Ruining Our Sleep: A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Problematic Social Media Use and Sleep Quality

The meta-analysis integrated research on the relationship between Problematic Social Media Use (PSMU) and sleep quality. We searched eight electronic databases and reviewed published studies before February 18, 2024. 62 effect sizes from 40 empirical studies, involving 34,441 participants, were selected and calculated using the correlation coefficient r. Results showed that age moderated the relationship between PSMU and sleep quality; younger users experienced poorer sleep quality compared to older users. Social media platform also acted as significant moderators, with Facebook showing the strongest impact on sleep quality, followed by Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. WhatsApp and WeChat had comparatively lesser effects. Neither gender nor cultural dimensions of individualism/collectivism could moderate the relationship between PSMU and sleep quality. Overall, the current study advances our understanding of the complexities of PSMU and sleep quality and makes important contributions to the development of future interventions and guidelines to identify PSMU and ensure adequate sleep.