Does Social Media Impact Adolescent Mental Health?

Part of paid clinical trials in Washington D.C., District of Columbia.

Sponsor
Georgetown University
Study ID
NCT06049888
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Mental Health

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
10 Years - 14 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Restricted Social Media — BEHAVIORAL
    Participants (N = 500) will be randomly assigned to either have no study-imposed restrictions on social media use (naturalistic social media condition) or have no access to social media apps on their phones (restricted social media condition). This manipulation will last three months, after which both groups will have no study-imposed restrictions on social media for three more months.

Study Details

The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline since 2011, roughly coinciding with the increasing popularity of social media and smartphones. But does social media have a causal impact on the mental health of adolescents or are concerns about the effect of social media on kids a form of public hysteria? In this study, the investigators will conduct the first field experiment in 11-14-year-olds to examine whether, how, and for whom social media harms mental health.

Key Dates

Start date
Sep 29, 2024
Status verified
Jun 2025
Primary completion
Nov 30, 2027
Completion
Feb 29, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
500 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • No Intervention: Naturalistic Social Media
    In this control condition, participants will have no study-imposed restrictions on social media use.
  • Experimental: Restricted Social Media
    Participants will have social media apps on their phones blocked for three months.

Primary Outcome Measure

Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Total Score [ Time Frame: Baseline, three months, and six months ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Georgetown UniversityWashington D.C.District of Columbia20057
Kostadin Kushlev, PhD
[email protected]

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Georgetown University· Washington D.C., DC

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