Digital detox trial aims to cure loneliness and FoMO in students
NCT ID NCT07473791
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 04, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether limiting social media use to a set amount each day can reduce loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), and improve sleep quality in university students. Seventy students aged 18-25 who use social media at least 2 hours daily will be randomly assigned to either a social media diet or their usual habits. Researchers will measure changes using standard questionnaires before and after the intervention.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- social media diet (digital detox)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, free way to improve mental well-being and sleep quality in young adults.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 70 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is short-term and relies on self-reported data.
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 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Aug 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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17 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: * Being between the ages of 18-25. * Being a student at Gumushane University Kelkit Sema Dogan Vocational School of Health Services. * Having a daily social media usage time of at least 2 hours (verified by smartphone screen time settings). * Owning a smartphone (Android or iOS). * Volunteering to participate in the study and providing written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Having a diagnosed clinical sleep disorder (e.g., sleep apnea, chronic insomnia) or using prescribed sleep medication. * Having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder that may interfere with social media use or perception of loneliness. * Use of other digital detox or time-management applications during the study period. * Being unable to provide weekly screen time screenshots. * Planning to change smartphone device during the 4-week intervention period.
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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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Gümüşhane University
RECRUITINGGümüşhane, Gümüşhane Province, 29600, Turkey (Türkiye)
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