A Research Proposal On Determining The Effect Of Social Medi ✓ Solved

A Research Proposal on Determining the Effect of Social Media

A Research Proposal on Determining the Effect of Social Media Usage on Sleep Time

Introduction

It is no doubt that the use of social media is widespread among young adults and has been found to impact directly on the amount of sleep time among the students in colleges and Universities. Thus, continuous use of social networking sites during sleep time leads to sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation refers to less sleep time than needed to keep the person awake and alert (AlDabal and BaHammam, 2011).

This study is interesting because it touches on an area that is very relevant to most college students: social media. The amount of time spent on social networking sites directly eats into sleep time. A study by Przybylski, Murayama, DeHaan, and Gladwell (2013) found that Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) was the major factor driving students to be glued to social media. FOMO is the fear of regret resulting from concerns that others are experiencing social interactions or rewarding experiences when they cannot be part of them (Przybylski et al., 2013).

The anxiety derived from FOMO creates a constant worry about what one might be missing out on, leading to habitual checking of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn (Przybylski et al., 2013). This intense desire for connectivity often results in compromised sleeping habits, as individuals engage in constant chats with friends, causing sleep deprivation.

Sleep deprivation affects a person’s emotions and ability to concentrate, magnifying the difficulty of simple tasks while amplifying smaller mistakes into catastrophic failures (Kilburn, 2018). Moreover, the criticism from peers may feel overwhelmingly negative, leading to a detrimental impact on self-esteem and mental well-being (Kilburn, 2018).

Consequently, this research focuses on students' social media usage by measuring the average time spent on different platforms that correlate with sleep deprivation. The study will employ a cross-sectional quantitative research design to gather data from students at the University of Michigan.

The research questions for the proposed study are as follows:

1. How much time do students spend on social networking sites at night without any limitations?
2. How much time do students spend sleeping each night after using social media?
3. How much time do students spend sleeping with regulated hours of social media usage?

The independent variables in this study will include time spent on social networking sites without regulations, time spent sleeping without limitations on social media use, and time spent sleeping under regulated conditions. The dependent variable, indicating sleep deprivation, will be measured based on total sleep time, where anything under seven hours signifies sleep deprivation, and over seven hours indicates sufficient sleep (Box & Tidwell, 1962).

The methodology will involve a brief questionnaire administered to students. Data collection will consist of two stages: the first stage will occur on one day, and the second will be conducted one week later. Participants will be asked to refrain from using social media nightly between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM during the intervening week. To preserve anonymity and reduce bias, participants' names will not be collected.

Data analysis will involve using Pearson correlation to assess the relationship between social media usage and hours of sleep. Collection of data is expected to take approximately four minutes for each part, and the questions will be straightforward to encourage participation (Kilburn, 2018).

Study Limitations

Some limitations that may arise include self-reporting bias in survey responses as students may underreport or exaggerate their social media usage and sleep patterns. Furthermore, external factors such as academic pressure and lifestyle choices may also influence sleep behavior.

Expected Outcomes

This study aims to bring attention to the crucial link between social media usage and sleep deprivation in college students, emphasizing the need for awareness regarding balanced digital consumption. It’s expected that the findings will contribute to the ongoing conversation about mental health and student well-being in the context of modern technology.

Conclusion

The impact of social media on sleep is a significant area of inquiry, particularly among young adults. By investigating this relationship, the proposed study endeavors to provide valuable insights that may help inform strategies for healthier media consumption practices among students.

References

• AlDabal, L., & BaHammam, A. (2011). Metabolic, endocrine, and immune consequences of sleep deprivation. The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal, 5, 31-43.
• Box, G. E., & Tidwell, P. W. (1962). Transformation of the independent variables. Technometrics, 4(4).
• Chokroverty, S. S. (2010). Overview of sleep and sleep disorders. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 131(2).
• Kilburn, M. (2018). Can sleep deprivation affect your self-esteem? Avogel. Retrieved from [URL]
• Nasirudeen, A. M. A., Lee Chin Adeline, L., Wat Neo Josephine, K., Lay Seng, L., & Wenjie, L. (2017). Impact of social media usage on daytime sleepiness: A study in a sample of tertiary students in Singapore. Digital Health, 3.
• Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of Management, 12(4).
• Przybylski, A., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(4), 1841–1848.