Nighttime use of electronic devices, fear of missing out, sleep disturbances, anxiety and well-being in the United Kingdom and Spain: a cross-cultural comparison

Caba Machado, V, McIlroy, D And Padilla-Adamuz, FM

(2024)

Nighttime use of electronic devices, fear of missing out, sleep disturbances, anxiety and well-being in the United Kingdom and Spain: a cross-cultural comparison.

Current Psychology, 43 (24). pp. 21134-21145. ISSN 1046-1310

Abstract

Electronic devices such as smartphones have become an essential part of young people's lives. Fear of missing out appears to influence the ability to set limits around sleep time. This study aimed to explore (1) the use of electronic media devices before bedtime, sleep quality, anxiety and well-being among university students in the UK and Spain, (2) whether university students' fear of missing out (FoMO) is associated with higher nighttime electronic device use by gender. A cross-sectional, quantitative design via Qualtrics.com was used. Samples consisted of N = 159 UK and N = 172 Spanish participants. The results of this study suggest that fear of missing out in women is a predictor of nighttime electronic device use in both countries, but not in men. Nighttime electronic device use is a predictor of: greater sleep difficulties in British men and women and in Spanish women, higher FoMO in women in both countries but not in men, and higher negative experiences in Spanish women. Nighttime electronic device use does not predict life satisfaction or loneliness. There is a lack of literature examining general nighttime electronic device use patterns, fear of missing out, well-being and mental health, a lack of cross-cultural studies and that consider well-being not with positive or negative factors but in a broader construct perspective. The results suggest the need to assess FoMO levels of students in clinical practice, particularly in women, and to integrate this construct into prevention and intervention programs.