Remote Youth Mental Health Research Study
Researchers at Georgetown University are conducting a study on how social media access affects adolescent mental health for youth ages 10–14 who are receiving their first smartphone.
Fast Facts
Parent of a child ages
10-14
Planning to buy their child their first smartphone before the age of 14
Compensation
Provided Up To $200
Conducted remotely
Study Background
Scientists are working to better understand how social media exposure impacts the mental health and well-being of young adolescents.
Smartphones and social media have become a central part of many young people’s lives. Parents, educators, and policymakers often worry about how these technologies may influence adolescent mental health, but much of the current evidence comes from observational studies rather than controlled experiments. This means researchers still have limited causal evidence about whether social media itself improves or harms well-being.
Researchers at Georgetown University, are conducting an experimental study to examine the effects of social media access on adolescents who are getting their first smartphone. By randomly assigning some participants to have access to social media and others to temporarily restrict it, the study aims to better understand both the potential benefits and risks of mobile social media use. Findings from this research may help families, educators, and policymakers make more informed
Study Background
Scientists are working to better understand how social media exposure impacts the mental health and well-being of young adolescents.
Smartphones and social media have become a central part of many young people’s lives. Parents, educators, and policymakers often worry about how these technologies may influence adolescent mental health, but much of the current evidence comes from observational studies rather than controlled experiments. This means researchers still have limited causal evidence about whether social media itself improves or harms well-being.
Researchers at Georgetown University, are conducting an experimental study to examine the effects of social media access on adolescents who are getting their first smartphone. By randomly assigning some participants to have access to social media and others to temporarily restrict it, the study aims to better understand both the potential benefits and risks of mobile social media use. Findings from this research may help families, educators, and policymakers make more informed
Additional Information
This study is being conducted to better understand how access to social media on smartphones affects adolescent mental health. Researchers hope to identify both the potential benefits and risks of social media use among young teens.
You may be eligible for this study if you meet the following criteria.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adolescents 10 to 14 years of age.
- Parent(s)/guardian(s) plan to purchase smartphone within the next year.
- All applicable parent(s)/guardian(s) with custody over the adolescent must provide consent for the adolescent to participate in the study.
- One parent/guardian must consent to participate in the study with the adolescent.
Participation lasts 6 months and includes several short activities for both the parent/guardian and the adolescent:
Onboarding Meeting (30 minutes) – Learn about the study and provide consent (remote or in person).
Onboarding Survey (15 minutes) – Complete a short demographics survey.
Parental Controls Setup (15 minutes) – Researchers help set smartphone social media access according to the study group.
Baseline Survey (20 minutes each) – Parent and adolescent complete questionnaires about parenting styles, device access, and media use.
Daily Check-ins (30 seconds) – The adolescent answers a brief daily question on their phone. Phone usage data is also collected passively.
3-Month Survey & Meeting (20 minutes each) – Follow-up questionnaires for both parent and child.
6-Month Survey (20 minutes each) – Final questionnaires.
In total, adolescents will spend about 2–3 hours completing surveys across the 6-month study.
Participants who complete the full study requirements will be entered into a raffle with the chance to win Beats Headphones or a Samsung Flatscreen TV.
As a participant with your child, you may receive up to $200.
There is no cost for you to participate in our research study.