Does Social Media Impact Adolescent Mental Health?
The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline, 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 10-14-year-olds to examine whether, how, and for whom social media harms mental health.
Conditions studied
Mental Health
About this study
The mental health of adolescents in the United States has seen a steep decline, 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 10-14-year-olds to examine whether, how, and for whom social media harms mental health.
Interventions
- Behavioral: 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.
Primary outcomes
- Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-25): Total Score (Baseline, three months, and six months)
Eligibility information
Study locations
- Georgetown University, Washington D.C., District of Columbia 20057 United States
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. Record last refreshed by Varda Clinical: 2026-09-27.