In a recent study published in BMC Psychology, researchers created a scale to detect bad social media-associated dreams based on themes such as powerlessness, lack of control, inhibition, victimization, and blunders. They also examined the relationship between using social media, sleep quality, emotional well-being, and nightmares.
Previous studies have shown that daytime social media use may impact nocturnal dreams; however, limited research exists on its role in increasing the intensity or frequency of terrifying and unpleasant dreams. Moreover, strong relationships between media usage and the frequency of media-related dreams have been observed, with the age of first use and usage frequency contributing to dream severity. Excessive social media use may also lead to poor sleep quality, as well as mental and physical health issues.