According to a study by the Pew Research Center, more than four in 10 teenagers (45%) recognise that, generally speaking, social networks harm the amount of sleep they get. — AFP Relaxnews
One last message on Snapchat, one last video on TikTok, one last thread on Reddit... For many teenagers, social media isn't just occupying their free time, it's also eating away at their hours of sleep. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 45% of 13- to 17-year-olds claim that their use of social networking sites interferes with the amount of sleep they get.
Whether it's the compulsive checking of news feeds, the anxious wait for a reply to a message or the temptation to watch "just one more video”, these habits have become almost commonplace, but they seriously disrupt biological rhythms. As a result, many teenagers find their sleep delayed, interrupted or even cut short. And they're increasingly aware of it.
According to a study by the Pew Research Center, more than four in 10 teenagers (45%) recognise that, generally speaking, social networks harm the amount of sleep they get. But that's not their only collateral damage. The over-use of screens also impinges on their effectiveness in daily life, since 40% of young people surveyed feel that their productivity is affected by social media, and 22% observe a concrete impact on their school grades.
However, when it comes to their mental health, the majority of teenagers temper their judgment. Half of them feel that social networks have neither a positive nor a negative effect on their psychological well-being. Only 19% say they feel a harmful impact, while 10% feel, on the contrary, that these platforms are beneficial.
The same applies to self-confidence: 19% of young people say that social media helps them to feel better about themselves, while 15% feel that these platforms hurt their confidence. But here again, neutrality dominates, with 46% perceiving neither gain nor loss.
Girls, in particular, appear to be more exposed to the negative effects of social networks. Indeed, 50% of girls say their sleep is disturbed by their use of Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat, versus 40% of boys. When it comes to mental health, 25% of teenage girls evoke a harmful effect, versus 14% of boys. Their self-confidence is also more often shaken, since 20% of girls say that social networks have affected their self-confidence, versus only 10% of boys.
Despite this mixed picture, one positive point emerges: friendships. In this respect, social media appears to be an invaluable resource, since three in 10 teenagers say their use of it has strengthened their friendships, while only 7% feel it has damaged them. However, almost half (43%) feel that this impact remains neutral. – AFP Relaxnews
*The study was conducted online between Sept 18 and Oct 10, 2024, among 1,391 US teenagers and their parents, via the Ipsos KnowledgePanel representative panel. Results were weighted to reflect the diversity of young people by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income and other categories.
