Social Media Sleep Inhibitors

New research out of the United Kingdom this week found that one in five young people wake up during the night and access social media. Professor Sally Power, Co-Director (Cardiff) Wales Institute for Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD), conducted the research that looked at more than 900 school children between the ages of 12 to 15 years, who were asked to complete a questionnaire on their sleep and nighttime social media habits.
The students were asked about their bedtimes and waking times as well as how often they woke up at night to check social media. Participants were also asked about how happy they were with various areas of their life including school, friendships and appearance.
The findings of the study were published earlier this week in the Journal of Youth Studies and identified that one in five pupils reported “almost always” waking up to log onto social media, with girls much more likely to use social media during the night than boys.
Professor Power believes that the “use of social media appears to be invading the ‘sanctuary’ of the bedroom,” stating the number of young people affected by the lack of sleep is “small but significant.”
For many years now, researchers have pursued reasons why humans are so drawn to social media. Popular studies have discovered that social media affects the brain in the same way that a hug does by releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers.
People get a “rush” of dopamine when they post, “like” or share something online. A similar response occurs in our brains every time we hear a notification for a text or email. Because our brains see this notification as a reward, it is challenging to ignore the pending communication. This reaction is why people continue to text while driving; they just cannot help themselves from responding.
The better solution is to turn off notifications, especially while driving; but simply turning off sounds does not negate the fact that we know texts, emails and “likes” could be occurring. More interestingly are the social media strategies that brands use to maximize the pleasure-causing dopamine release turning marketing into science.
Whether or not dopamine is to blame, our incessant need to connect with others immediately is plaguing our sleep patterns. There may be a few people that still count sheep in the night but for many, the draw to scroll through social media and count “likes” is just too strong.