Are you a night owl? New Gen Z study ties staying up late to ‘problematic’ smartphone and social media use
Scientists found that Gen Z night owls may be trapped in a vicious cycle of loneliness, anxiety, and unhealthy phone habits.
Sarah Bregel
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Being a night
owl has its perks. Scientists have found that people who habitually stay
up late may be more creative, and perhaps even more intelligent,
than those who go to bed and wake up earlier. But it also has its
downsides: There’s evidence that night owls may be more susceptible to
psychiatric issues and cognitive decline than their early bird peers.
And now, a new study involving Gen Z participants adds to the reasons why staying up late may not be in your brain’s best interest.
In a paper published last week in the journal PLOS One,
researchers found that Gen Z night owls appear to be more prone to
“problematic” smartphone use and social media addiction than early
birds. The reason why is particularly concerning: The researchers found
that loneliness and anxiety were the biggest drivers of unhealthy
smartphone and social media use.
Why late-night scrolling may be bad for your brain
The
researchers assessed the mental health of 407 young adults between the
ages of 18 and 25 and found that those who stayed up late had higher
rates of “problematic smartphone use and social media addiction” than
those who went to bed early.
Many of us are guilty of a little evening doomscrolling,
but the study shines a light on some serious downsides. Young people
who stayed up late not only exhibited more unhealthy smartphone use, but
they also had higher rates of mental health issues, including
depression, anxiety, loneliness, and poor sleep quality.
The
study also found that while loneliness and anxiety both led to more
problematic smartphone use and smartphone addiction, loneliness was the
stronger predictor.
A “vicious cycle”
The
findings suggest that young adults who find themselves alone and awake
at night might use social media in the absence of alternative ways to
feel a social connection, the researchers said.
“Our findings point to a vicious cycle,”
said study author Anna-Stiina Wallinheimo, a teaching fellow at the
University of Portsmouth in England. “Young adults who are naturally
more active in the evening often find themselves socially out of sync,
which may lead to feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
“Many then
turn to smartphones and social media to cope, but unfortunately, these
tools can make things worse, not better,” Wallinheimo added.
The
authors said the findings should give people pause before turning to
their phones late at night. “Young adults should be discouraged from
turning to social media and smartphone use as coping mechanisms, and
instead be informed regarding effective strategies and interventions for
addressing their loneliness and anxiety,” they wrote in the study.
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