Social Media Addiction, Sleep Quality and Psychological Well-Being among Faith-Based University Undergraduates in Nigeria
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Compulsive social media use has been linked to poor sleep and reduced mental health among young people, yet evidence from African faith-based universities is scarce, and the role of religious commitment has not been tested. This study examined whether sleep quality mediates the relationship between social media addiction and psychological well-being, and whether religious commitment moderates the relationship between social media addiction and sleep quality, among undergraduates at Babcock University, Nigeria. A descriptive correlational survey design was adopted. Through stratified random sampling, 312 undergraduates aged 16–19 years (53.5% female) completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), 42-item Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being and Religious Commitment Inventory-10. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and PROCESS Models 4 and 1. Poor sleep affected 61.2% of the students. Social media addiction correlated positively with poor sleep (r = .47, p < .001), and poor sleep correlated negatively with well-being (r = −.40, p < .001). Sleep quality partially mediated the relationship between social media addiction and well-being, accounting for 56% of the total effect. Religious commitment weakened the relationship between social media addiction and poor sleep (β = −.094, p = .008) but did not eliminate it. The study concluded that sleep is a major pathway through which compulsive social media use lowers students’ well-being, and that religious commitment is a partial rather than complete buffer. Faith-based universities should therefore integrate sleep-hygiene education with spiritual formation in digital-wellness programmes. Keywords: social media addiction; sleep quality; psychological well-being; religious commitment; faith-based university; Nigeria
Author: Obot, Samuel J.
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7219583866