Put down your phone: study tests if a digital detox can ease anxiety and boost sleep
NCT ID NCT07147829
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will test whether taking a break from digital devices and social media can help reduce depression, anxiety, stress, and improve sleep quality in young adults. One hundred participants who use social media at least 8 hours a day will be randomly assigned to a digital detox or a control group. The goal is to see if unplugging can restore emotional balance and better sleep.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- digital detox (behavioral intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to improve mental health and sleep in young adults who use social media heavily.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 100 participants. The effects may be short-lived or not work for everyone, and results may not apply to people with diagnosed mental health conditions.
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
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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
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 25 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Owning a smartphone * Using social media for ≥ 8 hours per day * Not having a diagnosis related to anxiety, depression, stress, sleep, or emotional regulation * Living in an environment with internet access * Providing voluntary informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Having a history of psychiatric diagnosis * Currently using psychiatric medication * Having received psychological counseling in the past 6 months * Having a diagnosis of sleep disorder
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
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