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Does Social Media Impact Adolescent Mental Health?
Sponsor: Georgetown University
Summary
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.
Official title: Causal Effects of Exposure to Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
10 Years - 14 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
500
Start Date
2024-09-29
Completion Date
2028-02
Last Updated
2025-06-17
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Restricted Social Media
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.
Locations (1)
Georgetown University
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States