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number of studies have found that using Facebook and other social media apps can interfere with sleep (also known as “Research You Can File Under ‘Duh’ ”), but a new investigation from the University of California, Irvine, shows an opposite correlation, according to a news release.
“There have been lots of studies on how information technology affects sleep. We did the opposite: We looked at how sleep duration influences IT usage,” said Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at UCI.
Specifically, Mark and her colleagues added logging software to 76 students’ computers and smartphones that recorded for seven days when the students switched from one app to another and when they texted or spoke on the phone. Students also filled out twice-daily surveys and answered other periodic questions about sleep habits, mood, engagement level, etc.
Researchers found a direct connection among a lack of sleep, worsening mood and greater use of social media apps like Facebook. In addition, the sleepier people are, the more likely they are to shift between different computer screens, which Mark says suggests increased distractibility.
“When you get less sleep, you’re more prone to distraction,” Mark says. “If you’re being distracted, what do you do? You go to Facebook. It’s lightweight, it’s easy, and you’re tired.” The findings will be presented a conference about human-computer interactions in May.
