Clinical trial NCT06798480: Prevalence of Problematic Use of Social Media
Official title: Prevalence of Problematic Use of Social Media in the General PopuLation
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Conditions: Social Networks
Addiction
Keywords: Problematic use
social media
addiction
Lead sponsor: Hospices Civils de Lyon
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-01-29
Enrollment: 1000
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 13
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Panel population (probability sample):The first study population will consist of a panel of 3,900 participants provided by the Selvitys Institute. These participants are selected using probability sampling methods to ensure that they are representative of the general French population aged 13 years or older. The selection is based on key demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and geographic location, level of education, ensuring a diverse and balanced sample.

Social media population (non-probability sample):The second study population will consist of individuals who voluntarily respond to the online self-administered questionnaire through recruitment campaigns on social media platforms. This non-probability sample is composed of individuals who actively use social media and are interested in participating. As participation is voluntary, the sample may not fully represent the broader French population but will provide insights into social media users' behavior and experiences

Brief summary: In 2023, French individuals spend an average of two hours per day on social media platforms (SM), primarily Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. While social media offers undeniable benefits, it also raises concerns about its impact on mental health and well-being. These impacts remain poorly understood, partly due to the diversity of social media uses and motivations, which do not have uniform effects on health. For instance, studies have shown that "active" use of social media (e.g., content creation) is associated with higher well-being, whereas "passive" use (e.g., content scrolling) is linked to lower well-being.

This challenge in understanding the variety of social media uses and their consequences has direct clinical implications. Clinicians working in pediatrics, child psychiatry, and addiction medicine are increasingly confronted with patients struggling to manage their social media use. However, they lack clear diagnostic criteria to differentiate between normal and problematic use, as well as specific tools tailored to address potential disorders.

Moreover, in France, there is no existing estimate of the proportion of the general population affected by problematic social media use.

This study aims to establish the prevalence of problematic use of social media in France. The investigators hypothesize that the prevalence will be close to 10%, which is the prevalence that has been found in other European countries in previous studies.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Aged 13 years or older.
* Resident in France and French-speaking.
* Does not object to participating in the study, and, for minors, whose parents also do not object to their participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable to understand and complete the questionnaire (e.g., non-French-speaking).

Primary outcomes:
measure: Prevalence of problematic use of social media.
timeFrame: baseline
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Lyon
country: France
facility: Hospices Civils de Lyon
Study officials:
affiliation: Hospices Civils de Lyon
name: Julia DE TERNAY, Dr
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: