Causes of Social Media Addiction in University Students, Sleep Quality? A Study on Sports Science Students

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 3, 283 - 290, 25.07.2025

Yaşar Yaşar , Tarik Sivrikaya , Gökhan Tuna , Merve Ferah Tazegül , İhsan Yağcı , Cuneyt Seydioglu

https://doi.org/10.33438/ijdshs.1696808

Abstract

This study aims to investigate social media addiction among college students, specifically the relationship between sleep quality and social media use. The study sample group consisted of 530 students from the departments of coaching education, sports management, leisure and sports, and physical education from four private and two public universities with faculties of sports science. The data of the study were obtained by Personal Information Form, Social Media Addiction Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 package program and the significance level was determined as 0.05. The findings of the study revealed that there were significant differences in sleep quality and social media addiction levels according to the gender and employment status of the students. While delay in falling asleep and lower sleep efficiency were noteworthy in male students, it was found that the sleep duration of working students was shorter compared to non-working students. It was also observed that virtual tolerance and virtual communication levels were higher in non-working students. While sleep quality sub-dimensions were positively and moderately related to each other, negative and significant relationships were found between social media addiction sub-dimensions and sleep quality. As a result of regression analysis, it was determined that the deterioration in sleep quality significantly increased the level of social media addiction and this
relationship had a moderate effect

Keywords

University , Sport Sciences , Social Media , Sleep Quality

Ethical Statement

During the current research, "Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive" was followed and the relevant research was approved by Istanbul Topkapı University, Academic Research and Publication Ethics Commission, Ethics Committee decision numbered E-49974783-612.09.7-2300006845

References

• Ahluwalia, N., Frenk, S. M., & Quan, S. F. (2018). Screen time behaviours and caffeine intake in US children: findings from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). BMJ Paediatrics Open, 2(1), e000258. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Akbulut, Y., & İskender, M. (2020). The relationship of social media use with sleep quality, social anxiety and loneliness in adolescents. Kastamonu Journal of Education, 28(4), 1681-1690. [CrossRef]
• Akça, F. (2020). The Relationship Between Social Media Addiction and Sleep Quality in University Students (Master's Thesis). Istanbul: Istanbul University.
• Andreassen, C. S., Pallesen, S., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). The relationship between addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self- esteem: Findings from a large national survey. Addictive Behaviors, 64, 287-293. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Arslan M., Taşkaya C., & Kavalcı B. (2020). The relationship between physical activity, obesity and sleep quality in university students. Journal of Health Professionals Research. 2(1), 16-22.
• Bakotic, M., Radosevic-Vidacek, B., & Koscec Bjelajac, A. (2017). Morningness- eveningness and daytime functioning in university students: The mediating role of sleep characteristics. Journal of Sleep Research, 26(2), 210-218. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Burke, L. M., Jeukendrup, A. E., Jones, A. M., & Mooses, M. (2019). Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race Walkers. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29(2), 117-129. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Custers, K. (2019). The urgent need for rigorous research on problematic social media use. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 22(6), 349-350.
• Çelik, E., & Yıldız, B. (2023). The Relationship Between University Students' Social Media Addiction and Sleep Quality. Master's Thesis, Hacettepe University, Ankara.
• Çömlekçi, M. F., & Başol, O. (2019). Investigation of the Relationship between Social Media Usage Purposes of Young People and Social Media Addiction. Manisa Celal Bayar University Journal of Social Sciences, 17(4), 173-188. [CrossRef]
• Díaz-Morales, J. F., & Escribano, C. (2015). Social jetlag, academic achievement and cognitive performance: Understanding gender/sex differences. Chronobiology International, 32(6), 822-831. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Dibben, G. O., Martin, A., Shore, C. B., Johnstone, A., McMellon, C., Palmer, V., Simpson, S. A. (2023). Adolescents' interactive electronic device use, sleep and mental health: a systematic review of prospective studies. Journal of Sleep Research, 32(5), e13899. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Doherty, Madigan, Warrington, & Ellis. (2019). Sleep and Nutrition Interactions: Implications for Athletes. Nutrients, 11(4), 822. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Dong H., Zhang Q., Zhu C., Lv Q. (2020). Sleep quality of nurses in the emergency department of public hospitals in China and its influencing factors: a cross-sectional study. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 18(1), 116-129. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Dresp-Langley, B., & Hutt, A. (2022). Digital Addiction and Sleep. International Journal of Research and Public Health, 19(11), 6910. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Evers, K., Chen, S., Rothmann, S., Dhir, A., & Pallesen, S. (2020) Investigating the relation among disturbed sleep due to to social media use, school burnout, and academic performance. J Adolesc, 84:156-164. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Güneş S. (2022). Evaluation of sleep quality and factors that may affect sleep quality of Kocaeli University Medical Faculty research assistant doctors. Medical Specialization Thesis, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli.
• Halson, S. L. (2014). Sleep in elite athletes and nutritional interventions to enhance sleep. Sports Medicine, 44(SUPPL.1), 13-23. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Kaçan, C. Y., Özdemir, A., & Ünal, E. (2021). Investigation of nursing students' sleep patterns, psychological states and exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of İnönü University Vocational School of Health Services. 9(3), 1044-1065. [CrossRef]
• Karadağ, E., & Tosuntaş, Ş. B. (2021). The relationship between digital addiction and sleep quality in university students. Journal of Qualitative Research in Education, 9(4), 1271-1290.
• Levenson, J. C., Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., Colditz, J. B., & Primack, B. A. (2017). Social media use before bed and sleep disturbance among young adults in the United States: A nationally representative study. Sleep, 40(9), zsx113. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Mallampalli, M. P., & Carter, C. L. (2014). Exploring sex and gender differences in sleep health: A Society for Women's Health Research Report. Journal of Women's Health, 23(7), 553-562. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Özyürek, P., Kaya, A., & Yıldız, E. (2022). Examination of the relationship between social media usage time and sleep quality in university students. Master's Thesis, Ege University, İzmir.
• Pagano, M., Bacaro, V., & Crocetti, E. (2023). Computers in Human Behavior "Using digital media or sleeping that is the question". A meta-analysis on digital media use and unhealthy sleep in adolescence. Computers in Human Behavior, 146, 1-16. [CrossRef]
• Pantic, I. (2014). Online social networking and mental health. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(10), 652-657. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Sarı ÖY., Üner S., Büyükakkuş B., Bostancı EÖ., Çeliksöz AH., Budak M. (2015). Sleep quality and some factors affecting sleep quality in dormitory students of a university. TAF Preventive Medicine Bulletin. 14(2), 1-15. [CrossRef]
• Sümen, A., & Evgin, D. (2021). Social media addiction in high school students: a cross- sectional study examining its relationship with sleep quality and psychological problems. Child Indicators Research, 14(6), 2265-2283. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Senol, V., Soyuer, F., Pekşen, A. R., & Argun, M. (2012). Sleep quality and affecting factors in adolescents. Kocatepe Medical Journal, 14, 93-102.
• Taddei, S., & Contena, B. (2013). Media use and academic performance: The influence of internet usage on academic performance. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(10), 691-697.
• Twenge, J. M., Krizan, Z., & Hisler, G. (2017). Decreases in self-reported sleep duration among U.S. adolescents 2009-2015 and association with new media screen time. Sleep Medicine, 39, 47-53. [PubMed] [CrossRef]
• Wright, K. P., McHill, A. W., Birks, B. R., Griffin, B. R., Rusterholz, T., & Chinoy, E. D. (2013). Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle. Current Biology, 23(16), 1554-1558. [PubMed] [CrossRef]