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Social media ban on teen phones tested in landmark experiment

NCT ID NCT06049888

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Georgetown University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study investigates whether restricting access to social media apps on smartphones for three months can improve anxiety and depression in adolescents aged 10 to 14. Half of the 500 participants will have no social media apps on their phones, while the other half will use them as usual. After three months, both groups will have no restrictions for another three months. The goal is to see if social media directly harms teen mental health.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
restricted social media (no access to social media apps on phone)
What this could lead to
If social media is shown to harm mental health, this could guide families and policymakers on screen time limits for teens.
What could go wrong
This is an early field experiment with 500 participants; results may not apply to all teens, and the restriction may not be followed perfectly.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 500 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Sep 2024

Expected to finish

Jun 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

10 to 14 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. is an adolescent who is between the ages of 10 and 14; 2. is an adolescent whose parents have decided to buy them their first smartphone; 3. is an adolescent both of whose parents/guardians consent for them to be in the study; 4. is an adolescent who assents to be in the study; 5) is an adolescent who speaks and reads English sufficiently to complete surveys and provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. is an adolescent who has severe developmental problems (e.g., autism, severe language delay); 2. is an adolescent who is currently or has ever been diagnosed with severe or moderately severe mental illness; 3. is an adolescent who is currently or has ever experienced suicidal ideation.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety disorder Depression Psychological Well-Being

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Mental health

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Georgetown University

    RECRUITING

    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20057, United States

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