Nighttime Social Media Users Face Higher Mental Health Risks
A new study has found that people who post on social media overnight are more likely to experience poor mental health. Researchers discovered that these night-time users report higher levels of anxiety and depression.
Most earlier research focused on how often people use social media. However, this new study looked at when people use it. The team analysed overnight posting habits on X (formerly Twitter) and compared them with long-term health data from the Children of the 90s project, also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
How the Study Was Conducted
Researchers studied 310 participants, examining more than 18,000 tweets shared between 2008 and 2023. They found that people who tweeted between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. showed “meaningfully worse mental wellbeing” than those posting during the day.
The findings also linked Night-time tweeting to higher rates of depression and anxiety, although these links were weaker. Experts suggested that staying awake to post or message online could replace valuable sleep. Blue light from screens may also disrupt melatonin production, leading to poor sleep quality.
Lead researcher Daniel Joinson from the University of Bristol said social media’s impact depends on how and when people use it. “Our paper highlights the potential harm of a very specific behaviour: nighttime content posting,” he noted.
Researchers hope the results will guide future efforts to promote healthier online habits and improve sleep-related wellbeing.
