Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Screen Time and Heightened Stress in College Students

Publication Date

Fall 11-25-2024

College

Sciences and Mathematics, College of

Department

Psychological Science, Department of

SURS Faculty Advisor

Abigail Heller

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

Technology is being used every day by individuals. While it is a helpful resource in many areas of life, such as using social media to connect with others or using it to wind down at the end of the day, the amount of time spent looking at screens has become a concern, especially when looking at the impact it has had on college students. For example, existing research indicates that excessive cell phone use is associated with negative behavior and well-being (De-Sola Gutierrez et al., 2016). In another study, The Cleveland Clinic performed research finding that what may seem to be a harmless habit of picking up a phone before bed specifically can lead to disrupted sleep due to the artificial light coming from phone screens and enhanced brain stimulation (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). Furthermore, college students have been found to be at an elevated risk of health issues, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and perceived stress (Varghese et al., 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between screen time, social media use, sleep quality, and perceived stress in college students. In this study, college students (N = 39) completed a Qualtrics survey through the SONA System that measured demographics, total screen time, total social media screen time, overall quality of sleep, and perceived stress. Results showed that total screen time did not have a significant correlation with perceived stress and overall sleep quality. Social screen time also did not have a significant correlation with perceived stress and overall sleep quality.

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