Electronic Media Use and its relation to Social Skills and Sleep Quality among Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Electronic devices play an important part in the social lives of adolescents; however, they can affect sleep of adolescents, in a negative way. Aim: the aim of this research was to describe electronic media use and its relation to social skills and sleep quality among adolescents. Design: A descriptive correlational design was used. Setting: the study was carried out at 4 schools which selected randomly and named Khadija Preparatory School, 24th of October Preparatory Language School, Al-Farouq Omar Bin Al-Khattab Secondary School for Boys, and October 24 Secondary Language School for Girls at Ismailia city. Sample: The cluster random sample of adolescents was included. Data Collection Tools: three tools are used; 1st tool: Semi-structured Interview Questionnaire was developed to collect: 1-Sociodemographic data; about the studied adolescents it included data about age, sex, and educational level. 2- Electronic media use; to measure the use and effects of electronic media on adolescents. 2nd tool: Social Skill Scale (SSS) for adolescents measured 3 dimensions of social skills of adolescents which included getting along skills, attributes and friendship skills, 3rd tool Arabic Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: assess sleep quality disturbances over a 1-month time interval. Results: revealed that more than half of the studied adolescents used electronic media when they were mentally upset, encounter a specific problem, feeling isolated and got kind of frustrated. Also, As well more than half of them had poor sleep quality level. Conclusion: There was a statistically negative linear relationship between social functioning, sleep quality and electronic media use with r -.309, r -,292 P value <.001* respectively. Recommendations: Increase awareness of parents and their adolescents to avoid negative effects of electronic media use on sleep quality and social functions through giving educational programs.