Addictive Digital Media Use and Its Impact on Sleep and Academic Functioning in Adolescents: A Systematic Review

The rapid proliferation of digital media technologies has fundamentally transformed adolescents’ daily routines, with growing concern regarding addictive patterns of digital media use and their consequences for sleep and academic functioning. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable due to ongoing neurodevelopmental maturation, increased social sensitivity, and academic demands. Emerging evidence suggests that excessive and compulsive engagement with smartphones, social media platforms, online gaming, and streaming services may disrupt sleep architecture, reduce sleep duration, and impair cognitive and academic outcomes. This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence examining the relationship between addictive digital media use, sleep disturbances, and academic performance among adolescents. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2026 were included if they examined adolescents aged 10–19 years and assessed addictive or problematic digital media use in relation to sleep outcomes and academic functioning. Evidence consistently indicates that addictive digital media use is associated with delayed sleep onset, reduced total sleep time, poorer sleep quality, and increased daytime sleepiness (LeBourgeois et al., 2017; Scott & Woods, 2019). These sleep disruptions are strongly linked to impaired attention, reduced executive functioning, lower academic achievement, and decreased school engagement (Cain & Gradisar, 2010; Twenge et al., 2017).Neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms including circadian rhythm disruption, cognitive hyperarousal, and emotional dysregulation mediate these relationships. The findings highlight addictive digital media use as a significant behavioral risk factor affecting adolescent sleep health and academic functioning. Addressing digital media addiction through school-based interventions, parental monitoring, sleep hygiene education, and digital literacy programs is essential for promoting adolescent well-being and academic success in the digital age.