Social Media Eligibility Rewires Teen Sleep Patterns

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by StudyFinds.

Turning 13 is a milestone most kids look forward to, but it carries a challenging twist that parents might not see coming. New research following more than 10,000 adolescents reveals that this birthday often brings a sharp change in bedtime screen habits that winds up cutting into the sleep teens need most.

The study, part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) project, shows that once kids hit the age when social media platforms officially allow them to sign up, their nighttime routines begin to shift. With access to apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, bedtime can quickly become another hour of scrolling, streaming, and messaging instead of winding down for rest.

Researchers found that just over 70% of 12- and 13-year-olds already had a device in their bedroom. As kids aged within that short span, they became more likely to watch videos, check social media, or text while lying in bed. These habits were not harmless background activity. More screen use at bedtime was linked to shorter sleep and more disturbances.

As the team wrote in Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, “We anticipate bedtime screen use, particularly social media, to increase around age 13, given that the minimum social media age requirement is 13 years.”

Source: StudyFinds
https://studyfinds.org/age-13-digital-cliff-social-media-eligibility-rewires-teen-sleep-patterns/