(2019) Beyond “Screentime”: Reframing Bedtime Social Media Use As a Social Interaction with Unique Implications for Adolescent Sleep
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Scott, Holly (2019) Beyond “screentime”: reframing bedtime social media use as a social interaction with unique implications for adolescent sleep. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/76732/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Beyond “screentime”: reframing bedtime social media use as a social interaction with unique implications for adolescent sleep Holly Scott, MA, MSc Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy November 2019 School of Psychology University of Glasgow 62 Hillhead Street Glasgow G12 8QB Copyright © 2019 Holly Scott Declaration of Originality Form This form must be completed and signed and submitted with all assignments. Please complete the information below (using BLOCK CAPITALS). Name HOLLY SCOTT ...................................................................................................................... Student Number 0907122N .............................................................................................................. Course Name PhD (PSYCHOLOGY) – DOCTORAL THESIS ........................................................ Assignment Number/Name BEYOND “SCREENTIME”: REFRAMING BEDTIME SOCIAL MEDIA USE AS A SOCIAL INTERACTION WITH UNIQUE IMPLICATIONS FOR ADOLESCENT SLEEP ..................................................................................................................... An extract from the University’s Statement on Plagiarism is provided overleaf. Please read carefully THEN read and sign the declaration below. I confirm that this assignment is my own work and that I have: Read and understood the guidance on plagiarism in the Student Handbook, including the University of Glasgow Statement on Plagiarism Clearly referenced, in both the text and the bibliography or references, all sources used in the work Fully referenced (including page numbers) and used inverted commas for all text quoted from books, journals, web etc. (Please check with the Department which referencing style is to be used) Provided the sources for all tables, figures, data etc. that are not my own work Not made use of the work of any other student(s) past or present without acknowledgement. This includes any of my own work, that has been previously, or concurrently, submitted for assessment, either at this or any other educational institution, including school (see overleaf at 31.2) Not sought or used the services of any professional agencies to produce this work In addition, I understand that any false claim in respect of this work will result in disciplinary action in accordance with University regulations DECLARATION: I am aware of and understand the University’s policy on plagiarism and I certify that this assignment is my own work, except where indicated by referencing, and that I have followed the good academic practices noted above Signed ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Abstract There is significant current attention towards the possible impact of social media on adolescent wellbeing, with concerns voiced by parents, educators, practitioners and national policymakers. This includes a focus on social media’s influence on sleep, which plays a crucial role in supporting physical and mental health, emotional wellbeing and academic performance during this developmental period. However, there are key limitations in the existing evidence base available to support informed decision-making in this area. These include a prevalent techno-centric focus on “screentime” – which is typically measured only in hours per day and often framed negatively or pathologised – and a lack of adolescent voice. This PhD aims to target gaps in current understanding of adolescent social media use and sleep, enriching the evidence and tools available to support future research, practice and policy. This thesis presents four studies, which contribute to building new understanding of the unique implications that social media interactions – unlike other forms of technology use – have for adolescent sleep. Chapter 3 makes use of data from a large representative UK sample, to establish a normative profile for current adolescent social media use and to quantify links to a range of sleep parameters, controlling for an extensive range of covariates. Chapter 4 uses rich focus group data to provide an adolescent perspective on emotional, social and cognitive drivers for bedtime social media use that can make it difficult for some adolescents to disengage at night. Chapter 5 takes these qualitative findings as a foundation for developing a new validated self-report measure that captures this difficulty disengaging from social media at night due to concerns about staying connected and following etiquette. Chapter 6 considers the practical application of the new knowledge gained from these studies, by consulting with relevant stakeholders to develop and pilot a new school-based lesson programme that specifically targets the role of social influence in adolescent bedtime social media and sleep habits. These studies advance current understanding by highlighting the unique implications that this inherently social and interactive experience has for adolescent sleep, beyond simply another hour of daily “screentime”. Together, these findings indicate that adolescent sleep research and practice need to 2 reframe social media not simply as a technology-based activity, but as a highly motivating and rewarding source of peer interactions, which understandably competes with sleep during a developmental period of heightened sensitivity to social influences. Adopting this approach can extend current models of adolescent sleep, inform up-to-date interventions and education strategies, support more efficient future research and guide a more constructive narrative in public and policy spheres. 3 Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................... 1 List of Tables ................................................................................ 7 List of Figures ............................................................................... 8 Acknowledgements ......................................................................... 9 Abbreviations .............................................................................. 10 Previous publications ..................................................................... 11 Chapter 1 Introduction to adolescent social media use ........................... 13 1.1 Social media use: definition, prevalence & age trends .................... 14 1.1.1 What defines these tools as social media? .............................. 14 1.1.2 Changes in popular platforms & their features ........................ 16 1.1.3 Adolescents’ social media habits & experiences ....................... 19 1.2 Why study social media use in adolescents specifically ................... 20 1.2.1 Defining adolescence ...................................................... 20 1.2.2 A period of heightened sensitivity to social influence ................ 21 1.2.3 Navigating adolescence in today’s connected world .................. 22 1.3 Current attention: concerns vs evidence base .............................. 24 1.3.1 Not just another hour of “screentime” .................................. 25 1.3.2 Pathologising online social interactions ................................. 26 1.3.3 Where is the adolescent voice? ........................................... 27 1.4 Chapter summary ................................................................ 28 Chapter 2 Introduction to adolescent sleep ......................................... 29 2.1 Understanding sleep: physiology, behaviour and experience ............. 30 2.1.1 Physiological processes of sleep .......................................... 30 2.1.2 Behavioural processes of sleep ........................................... 33 2.1.3 The subjective experience of sleep ...................................... 34 2.2 Changes to sleep during adolescence: the Perfect Storm ................. 36 2.2.1 Bioregulatory pressure ..................................................... 37 2.2.2 Psychosocial pressure ...................................................... 37 2.2.3 Societal pressure ........................................................... 38 2.3 Importance of sleep in adolescence .......................................... 39 2.3.1 Links to mental health & emotional wellbeing ......................... 40 2.3.2 Links to learning & academic performance ............................. 41 2.3.3 Links to physical health .................................................... 42 2.4 Existing research on social media and sleep ................................ 43 2.4.1 Existing evidence on technology use generally ........................ 43 2.4.2 Applying a techno-centric approach to social