Social Media Diet and Psychological Outcomes in University Students

This study aims to investigate the effects of a social media diet intervention on loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep quality among university students. With the widespread use of digital technologies, social media has become an integral part of daily life, particularly among young adults and university students. Although social media platforms provide opportunities for communication and information sharing, excessive and uncontrolled use has been associated with several negative psychological outcomes, including increased loneliness, higher levels of FoMO, and poor sleep quality.

FoMO refers to the pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, and it has been identified as an important psychological mechanism that drives excessive social media engagement. Continuous exposure to social media content and the pressure to stay constantly connected may contribute to sleep disturbances and reduced well-being among university students.

In recent years, the concept of a "social media diet" or digital detox has emerged as a potential strategy to reduce the negative effects of excessive social media use. A social media diet generally refers to intentionally limiting the amount of time spent on social media platforms in order to improve psychological well-being and daily functioning.

This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial with university students. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will follow a social media diet by limiting their daily social media use for a specified intervention period, while the control group will continue their usual social media use without restrictions. Data will be collected at baseline and after the intervention period using validated scales measuring loneliness, FoMO, and sleep quality.

The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the growing body of evidence on behavioral interventions aimed at reducing problematic social media use and improving mental well-being and sleep health among university students

Inclusion criteria

• Being between the ages of 18-25.
• Being a student at Gumushane University Kelkit Sema Dogan Vocational School of Health Services.
• Having a daily social media usage time of at least 2 hours (verified by smartphone screen time settings).
• Owning a smartphone (Android or iOS).
• Volunteering to participate in the study and providing written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Having a diagnosed clinical sleep disorder (e.g., sleep apnea, chronic insomnia) or using prescribed sleep medication.
• Having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder that may interfere with social media use or perception of loneliness.
• Use of other digital detox or time-management applications during the study period.
• Being unable to provide weekly screen time screenshots.
• Planning to change smartphone device during the 4-week intervention period.