Tracking Effects of Problematic Social Networking on Adolescent Psychopathology: The Mediating Role of Sleep Disruptions
Abstract
Concerns are growing about adolescents' problematic social networking and possible links to depressed mood and externalizing behavior. Yet there remains little understanding of underlying processes that may account for these associations, including the mediating role of sleep disruption. This study tests this putative mediating process and examines change in problematic social networking investment and disrupted sleep, in relation to change in depressed mood and externalizing behavior. A sample of 874 students (41% male; 57.2% Caucasian; baseline M age = 14.4 years) from 27 high schools were surveyed. Participants' problematic social networking, sleep disruption, and psychopathology (depressed mood, externalizing behaviors) were measured annually over 3 years. Longitudinal mediation was tested using latent trajectories of problematic social networking use, sleep disruption, and psychopathology. Both problematic social networking and sleep disruption underwent positive linear growth over time. Adolescents who increasingly invested in social networking reported increased depressed mood, with around 53% of this association explained by the indirect effect of increased sleep disruptions. Further, adolescents who increasingly invested in social networking also reported increased externalizing behavior; some of this relation was explained (13%) via increased sleep disruptions. However an alternative model in which increased externalizing was associated with increased social network…
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Insomnia and other sleep-related factors were the most frequently reported mediators of the relationship between social media use and depressed mood.
“Insomnia and other sleep-related factors were most frequently reported as mediators of the relationship between social media use and depressed mood (Li et al., 2017; Vernon et al., 2017).”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Vernon et al., 2017
Vernon et al. (2017) found an association between problematic social media investment and depressed mood, with sleep disruption as a mediating variable.
“Vernon et al. (2017) conducted a longitudinal investigation and found an association between problematic social media investment and depressed mood, with sleep disruption as a mediating variable.”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Vernon et al. (2017)
The Vernon et al. study did not use a control and a comparison group to differentiate those exposed to social media sites and those not.
“The study did not use a control and a comparison group to di ff erentiate those who exposed to social media sites and those who not.”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Vernon et al., 2017
Only one longitudinal study (Vernon et al., 2017) investigated the causal relationship between problematic social media use and change in depressed mood, but this study was also limited in showing evidence whether social media use causes depressed mood in adolescents.
“Only one longitudinal study (Vernon et al., 2017) investigated the causal relationship between problematic social media use and change in depressed mood, but this study has also limited to show evidence whether social media use causes depressed mood in adolescents.”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Vernon et al., 2017
In Vernon et al. (2017), researchers did not measure exposure at baseline.
“In the only cohort study (Vernon et al., 2017), participants were assessed annually over three years, but the researchers did not measure exposure at baseline.”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Vernon et al., 2017
In Vernon et al. (2017), participants were assessed annually over three years.
“In the only cohort study (Vernon et al., 2017), participants were assessed annually over three years, but the researchers did not measure exposure at baseline.”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Vernon et al., 2017
Vernon et al. (2017) was the only cohort study.
“In the only cohort study (Vernon et al., 2017), participants were assessed annually over three years, but the researchers did not measure exposure at baseline.”
From A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents (2020) · cites this paper as Vernon et al., 2017
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- Authors
- Vernon, L., Modecki, K. L., & Barber, B. L.
- Affiliations
- Murdoch University (AU)
- Griffith University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Vernon, Lynette
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-08-05
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 269-283
- ISSN
- 1537-4416 (ISSN-L)
- 1537-4424
- OpenAlex
- W2501532644
- Cited by
- 108
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 17.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Murdoch University Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Australian Research Council (DP0774125, DP1095791, DP130104670)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Keywords
- adolescents, sleep disruption, depressive mood, externalizing problems, adolescent psychopathology, mediation, reciprocal effects, longitudinal trajectories, social media use, bedtime
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Female, Humans, Male, Parents, Psychopathology, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sleep, Sleep Wake Disorders, Students, Social Networking
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