Anxiety, Social Media Addiction, and the Effect of These Conditions on Insomnia During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Period

This study aimed to investigate the effects of anxiety, social media addiction, and these conditions on insomnia among adults aged 18 and above residing in Kahramanmaras during coronavirus disease 2019. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in Kahramanmaras province between September 15 and December 31, 2021. The study included individuals aged 18 and above who agreed to participate (n = 394). Participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 Anxiety Scale, Social Media Addiction Scale—Adult Form, and Insomnia Severity Index were recorded. Of the participants, 61.4% were female, with a mean age of 33.59 ± 10.86 years, and 94.2% of the participants reported using at least one social media platform. The most commonly used social media platforms were WhatsApp (94.2%), Instagram (81.2%), and YouTube (66%). The mean anxiety level was 1.84 ± 3.17, the social media addiction level was 44.14 ± 14.24, and the insomnia severity index was 8.75 ± 5.67. It was observed that 5.1% of individuals had coronavirus disease 2019 anxiety, 11.4% had moderate insomnia, and 3.3% had severe insomnia. Significant differences were found in social media addiction levels among unmarried individuals, high school graduates, those with fewer than three children, alcohol consumers, those with longer smartphone usage, and those accessing the Internet at home (p < .05). Compared to males, females had significantly higher levels of coronavirus disease 2019 anxiety (p = .001). The present study revealed an association between anxiety, social media addiction, and insomnia during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Future multicenter and prospective studies should investigate the relationship between social media addiction and anxiety and the impact of these conditions on insomnia to determine the temporal sequence and develop interventions targeting the initial manifestation based on the identified cause-and-effect relationship.

Cite this article as: Can Meral, Y., Şule Gümüştakım, R., Kuş, C., & Yasemin Taş, Z. (2024). Anxiety, social media addition, and the effect of these conditions on insomnia during the coronavirus disease 2019 period. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, Published online May 30, 2024. doi:10.5152/ADDICTA.2024.23104