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How smartphone-induced sleep disruption contributes to depression in adolescents

This psychology research paper discusses the relationship between sleep disruptions due to the use of smartphones and the increasingly higher rate of depression among adolescents. The excessive utilization of smartphones at night, while very useful in terms of communication and also a source of amusement, has greatly affected the quality of sleep. In this psychology sample paper, an argument is made on how sleep disruptions affect emotional regulation, leading to mental health disorders such as depression. The inclusion of important studies enables the psychology essay writer to point out the relationship that occurs between engagement in smartphones and emotional well-being. This research paper example provides a clear illustration within the field of psychology of an urgent need to address such effects of technology on adolescent mental health.

Octobre 9, 2024

* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.

How Smartphone-Induced Sleep Disruption Contributes to Depression in Adolescents

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How Smartphone-Induced Sleep Disruption Contributes to Depression in Adolescents

Within the last ten years, the rapid proliferation of smartphones has dramatically shifted

the ways in which adolescents interact with their environment and navigate their social worlds.

For many, these devices have evolved into key tools not just for communication and social

interaction, but also for entertainment, information, and self-expression. However, the rate at

which these machines are being utilized, particularly into the night, has transformed what was a

lesser concern into a serious spike in sleep disturbance among the youth in recent years and has

raised urgent questions concerning its impacts on their mental health and wellbeing. Recent

findings show that during late-night hours, most adolescents were still glued to their

smartphones, prioritizing screen time over essential rest (Sa, et al., 2023). It interferes with the

processes of natural sleep and the circadian rhythm, hence leading to poor quality or a lack of

sufficient sleep. Further, sleep deprivation may reduce resilience in vulnerable individuals,

increasing the risk for emotional dysregulation, which is linked to the onset of mental health

problems, including depression. This essay, therefore, debates how sleep disturbances associated

with smartphones contribute to depression among adolescents, discussing some of the key

mechanisms underlying the interconnection between disrupted sleep and emotional well-being.

Smartphone Use and Sleep Disruption

At this stage of life, young people are most susceptible to the possible adverse effects

created by the use of smartphones. In fact, most of the activities that occur on smartphones tend

to run late into the night; for instance, engaging in social media, playing games, and video

streaming. Screen time before bed interferes with the circadian rhythm of the body, hence

adversely affecting the sleep of young individuals in terms of falling and staying asleep. Indeed,

one study by Siebers et al. (2024) managed to establish the relationship between higher

smartphone usage, especially during nocturnal hours, with poorer sleep quality among

adolescents. Adolescents who used smartphones more frequently before going to bed exhibited

higher daytime somnolence and further complications in concentrating on tasks during the day.

This is the pattern that leads not only to physical exhaustion but significantly influences

cognitive and emotional functioning. Poor-quality sleep is further linked with a range of

cognitive and emotional problems, such as irritability and mood swings, which could severely be

detrimental to academic achievement and social relationships, two central aspects of the

adolescent period (Scott, Webb, Rowse, & Weeich, 2021). Moreover, the reciprocal cycle

between sleep disruption and smartphone use forms a vicious cycle. Poor sleep will, in return, be

substituted with more frequent use of smartphones, as adolescents would search for stimulation

or social contact as an outlet for their emotional distress, hence further deteriorating the problem.

Sleep Disruption and Depression in Adolescents

The relationship between sleep disturbance and depression has been well-documented

among adolescents. It has, in fact, been established that adolescents who experience a shortage of

sleep or disrupted sleep are more vulnerable to depressive states (Roberts & Duong, 2014). Such

a reality apparently involves complex, multi-dimensional mechanisms. Sleep is an activity

related to emotion regulation, while the lack of restorative sleep may enhance emotional

reactivity and reduce coping with stressors. This turns into a vicious circle: the more emotionally

dysregulated adolescents become, the more they may reach for their smartphones either as a way

to distract themselves or in attempts to receive social validation, which in turn disrupts sleep

patterns even more. In one study, Gradisar et al. (2022) discovered that adolescents with poor

sleep quality had higher levels of depressive symptoms over time. This study highlighted the role

of sleep disturbances in influencing emotional states, citing that sleep problems may be used as

an intervention point aiming at reducing the risk of depression. Another article by Blackwelder et

al. (2021) described how adolescents with preexisting mental disorders are more susceptible to

sleep disturbances and thus create a vicious cycle where depression leads to sleep disruption and

sleep disruption promotes depression. This underlines a correlative relationship that represents

the critical need for the inclusion of sleep hygiene in any comprehensive approach to adolescent

mental health.

In addition, social dynamics in adolescence also have a role to play in this relationship.

Adolescents, while interacting with peers, may feel compelled to be connected at all times via

social media; hence, the latter has become part of their social life. Such a need for social

interaction, instigated by the use of smartphones, fosters anxiety and feelings of loneliness,

mainly when such interactions fail to live up to the expectations of the person interacting online.

For instance, teenagers may compare real life to the presented 'highlights' of their colleagues,

which would decrease self-confidence and self-esteem. The feeling is even worse when one

perceives that everybody else has got something fulfilling thereby increasing feelings of

loneliness or exclusion. FOMO could force adolescents to stay up longer being in social media

feeds and talking with others late at night to be "in the loop." Many have a compulsive urge to

check on notifications or missed social updates, disrupting sleep and furthering sleep deprivation

in a self-feeding loop that is detrimental to cognitive functions and emotional regulations. The

constant feed of information, coupled with the need for social affirmation, can be quite

anxiety-inducing and render a person incapable of sleeping and/or winding down. Indeed, Coco

et al. (2020) found FOMO to be related to higher smartphone use and, consequently, sleep

disturbance and depression. Such behavior, other than the mere presence of fatigue, when

extended well into the night on a regular basis, has consequences that are serious mental health

challenges to overall development and well-being.

Implications for Mental Health

What comes out of this study is how important it is to understand the implication of

disrupted sleep through smartphones on adolescents' mental health. The adolescent stage is one

of the most crucial periods for emotional and psychological development; disruption in sleep

may have long-lasting impacts on their mental health. In addition, the increased depression

among adolescents will have other consequences: problems with school work, social isolation,

and higher vulnerability to substance abuse and self-harm. Since the presence of smartphones

will only increase in adolescents' lives, intervention needs to take place on various levels. First is

education about healthy sleep behavior and what using smartphones does to sleep. Setting

boundaries on the use of smartphones among adolescents, especially during bedtime hours,

would be commendable. Schools and parents are major stakeholders who have a great role to

play in fostering an environment that gives greater emphasis to sleep hygiene, such as

encouraging technology-free zones during nighttime hours. Further, developing a communicative

platform about mental health will make adolescents feel supported while navigating their issues.

Resources for support of mental health and encouraging healthy coping mechanisms could

empower adolescents to self-manage their emotional well-being without resorting to smartphone

engagement.

Conclusion

Therefore, this study has highlighted that disrupted sleep caused by smartphones is

among the major reasons for increasing rates of depression in adolescents. It brought out the

interplay between excessive use of smartphones, poor quality of sleep, and mental health

outcomes, a factor showing the urgency to address mental health in this population. The alliance

of parents, educators, and mental health professionals will help develop healthier habits through

understanding those mechanisms that directly link sleep disruption to depressive symptoms and

thus improve emotional well-being. Assuring restorative sleep for the young is not only

important for their immediate mental health but also for their future development and quality of

life. In a society continuing to embrace technological advancement, a healthy future for

adolescents should put sleep and mental health in front of the use of smartphones.

References

Blackwelder, A., Hoskins, M., & Huber, L. (2021, June 17). Effect of Inadequate Sleep on

Frequent Mental Distress. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2021/20_0573.htm

Coco, G. L., Salerno, L., & Franchina, V. (2020). Examining bi-directionality between Fear of

Missing Out and problematic smartphone use. A two-wave panel study among

adolescents. Addictive Behaviors, 106(1), 106360.

Gradisar, M., Kahn, M., Micic, G., Short, M., Reynolds, C., Orchard, F., & Bartel, K. (2022).

Sleep’s role in the development and resolution of adolescent depression. Nature Reviews

Psychology, 1(9), 512-523.

Roberts, R. E., & Duong, H. T. (2014). The Prospective Association between Sleep Deprivation

and Depression among Adolescents. Sleep, 37(2), 239-244.

Sa, S., Baiao, A., Marques, H., Reis, M. J., Dias, S., & Catarino, M. (2023). The Influence of

Smartphones on Adolescent Sleep: A Systematic Literature Review. Nursing Reports,

13(2), 612-621.

Scott, A. J., Webb, T. l., Rowse, G., & Weeich, S. (2021). Improving sleep quality leads to better

mental health: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews,

60(1), 101556.

Siebers, T., Beyens, I., Baumgartner, S. E., & Valkenburg, P. (2024). Adolescents’ Digital

Nightlife: The Comparative Effects of Day- and Nighttime Smartphone Use on Sleep

Quality. Communication Research, 2(1), 1-27.

Octobre 9, 2024

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Academic level:

Undergraduate 1-2

Type of paper:

Research paper

Discipline:

Psychology

Citation:

APA

Pages:

4 (1100 words)