The Relationship of Social and Non-Social Screen Time to Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia Symptoms Among College...

College students frequently engage in screen-based activities while facing elevated rates of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. This study examined whether social and non-social screen time moderate the relationship between mental health symptoms and insomnia symptoms. A cross-sectional survey of 1,010 college students (Mage = 19.86; SDage = 2.33) collected self-reported data on depressive and anxiety symptoms, insomnia severity, and daily social and non-social screen time. Moderation analyses tested whether screen time types influenced the relationships between mental health symptoms and insomnia. Depressive symptoms were correlated with non-social screen time (r = .14, p =<.001) while anxiety symptoms were correlated with social screen time (r = .09, p =<.01). Social screen time but not non-social screen time moderated the relationship between anxiety (b = -.03, SE = .01, p = .01) and depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms (b = - .02, SE = .01, p = .02). Among students with lower depressive or anxiety symptoms, greater social screen time was associated with worseinsomnia symptoms. However, for students with higher depressive or anxiety symptoms, insomnia remained elevated regardless of social screen time use. These findings highlight the need to distinguish between social and nonsocial screen time when considering their mental health and sleep impacts. For students with mild symptoms, reducing social screen time before bed may help prevent sleep difficulties. However, for those with severe depressive or anxiety symptoms, mental health treatment may be more critical than screen time reductions alone. Future research should explore individualized digital health strategies based on symptom severity.