Night-time use of electronic devices, fear of missing out, sleep difficulties, anxiety, and well-being in UK and Spain: a cross-cultural comparison

Abstract

Electronic devices such as smartphones have become a primary part of young people's lives. Fear of missing out seems to influence the ability to set boundaries around sleep time. This study aims to explore (1) the use of electronic media devices in pre-sleep time, quality of sleep, anxiety, and well-being in females and males’ university students in the UK and Spain, (2) whether university students’ fear of missing out (FoMO) is associated with a higher usage of electronic devices at night-time by gender. A cross-sectional, quantitative design through Qualtrics.com was used. Samples were formed by N = 159 British participants, and N = 172 Spanish. Findings from this study suggest that fear of missing out in females is a predictor, in both countries, of electronic devices usage at night-time but not in males. Night-time usage of electronic devices is a predictor of: higher sleep difficulties in British males and females and in Spanish females, higher FoMO in females from both countries but not in males, and higher negative experiences in Spanish females. Night-time usage of electronic devices did not predict satisfaction with life or loneliness. There is a lack in the literature examining general electronic devices usage habits during night-time, 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 from a broad perspective of the construct. Findings suggest the necessity to evaluate students’ levels of FoMO in clinical practice, especially in females, and to incorporate this construct in prevention and intervention programs.