0130 Sleep More, Scroll Less: The Impact of Sleep and Social Media on Teen Mood

Abstract Introduction Sleep plays a critical role shaping affect and emotion regulation. Social media use (SMU) may influence this relationship by affecting mood and increasing emotional arousal, particularly when close to bedtime. Conversely, mood may also drive social media engagement, with youth seeking social connection or distraction in response to emotional states. We examined the bidirectional relationships between pre-sleep social media use, evening mood, and sleep duration. Methods Youth aged 9-13 (N = 51, Mage = 11.5, SD = 1.6) completed four quarterly seven-consecutive days of daily sleep diaries, reporting on sleep, hours of social media use, and thrice daily ecological momentary assessments. Four hierarchical moderation models tested bidirectional associations between SMU and positive and negative mood, with sleep duration as a moderator. All models controlled for sex, age, and study week. Composite mood scores were created, and social media use and sleep duration were mean centered. Results Longer sleep was associated with higher positive mood, whereas greater pre-sleep SMU predicted lower mood. The negative effect of SMU on mood was slightly stronger with longer amounts of sleep (p<.01). Though greater SMU predicted higher negative mood, sleep was not a significant predictor of negative mood. Males reported higher negative mood compared to females, controlling for all other variables (p<.01). Higher positive evening mood was associated with lower SMU (p=0.001), and longer sleep was strongly associated with lower SMU (p<.001). Higher negative mood also predicted higher SM use (p <.001), while longer sleep was strongly associated with lower SM use (p<.001). Older teens and males consistently had greater SMU (p’s<.001). Conclusion Adolescents who slept more reported better positive mood and less SMU, whereas higher SMU was linked to poorer mood. Older teens and males consistently spent more time online, and these associations highlight the impact of sleep and SMU habits on adolescent mood and behavior. Clinically, monitoring sleep patterns and SMU may help identify teens at risk for mood difficulties, and promoting adequate sleep, alongside balanced social media habits, could be key targets for interventions to support emotional well-being. Support (if any) NIH/NICHD K08 HD 107161 to KS