Abstract
<sec> <title>UNSTRUCTURED</title> <p>Adolescent anxiety prevalence has escalated markedly over the past decade, paralleling substantial increases in digital media exposure. This study investigates the multivariate associations among daily screen time, nocturnal digital engagement, sleep architecture disruption, and generalized anxiety symptomatology in a sample of 742 high‑school students. Employing a cross‑sectional design, we collected data on device‑use patterns, sleep duration and latency, and standardized anxiety indices (GAD‑7). Hierarchical regression models demonstrated that late‑night screen use exhibited a significantly stronger association with anxiety scores than aggregate daily screen time, with sleep reduction mediating approximately 41% of the observed relationship. Adolescents engaging in post‑midnight device use reported elevated physiological hyperarousal, increased cognitive rumination, and diminished capacity for attentional disengagement from social platforms. These findings underscore the importance of interventions targeting sleep hygiene, circadian‑aligned digital routines, and cognitive regulation strategies, suggesting that such approaches may yield greater efficacy than generalized screen‑time restrictions. Implications for school‑based prevention frameworks and parent‑guided digital behavior protocols are discussed.</p> </sec>