SMARTPHONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, STRESS AND SLEEP PATTERNS AMONG TEENAGERS IN CALIFORNIA

Smartphones have become an integral part of teenagers daily lives, providing ways to communicate, learn, access entertainment, and stay connected through social media. However, the ways teenagers use these features may also be related to their stress levels and sleep habits. This study examines the relationship between smartphone and social media engagement, self-reported stress and mood, and usual bedtime among teenagers in California. Primary survey data were collected from 117 teenagers using a structured questionnaire. Responses to seven Likert-scale items were combined to calculate an overall Engagement Score. Pearsons correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were then used to examine the relationships between engagement, stress and mood, and bedtime. The results showed a moderate positive correlation between Engagement Score and the stress/mood measure (r = 0.556) and a moderate negative correlation between Engagement Score and bedtime (r = -0.307). The relationship between stress/mood and bedtime was weak and not statistically significant (r = -0.148). The regression analysis also showed that the stress/mood measure was positively associated with Engagement Score, while bedtime had a significant negative association.