College students who spend more time on social media tend to sleep worse, and that may have consequences for how they perceive their own health, according to a new George Mason University study. The research links heavier social media use with poorer sleep quality and lower self-rated health.
The authors point to sleep as a likely pathway: greater social media use may disrupt rest, and disrupted rest may shape how students rate their overall well-being. The study describes the relationship as an association, so it does not establish that social media directly causes poor sleep or lower health ratings.
Since the report is the only source here, there are no conflicting findings to compare. The results simply indicate that among college students, more time on social media tracks with worse sleep and less favorable views of their own health.