None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Addiction to Social Networking Sites (SNS) is considered a major public health problem and is well recognized around the world with serious social and health-related implications. There have been numerous studies that have been undertaken to examine the prevalence and severity of SNS addiction in Pakistani undergraduates. However, there are limited studies that have been done on the school-going adolescent population, especially in Pakistan. More importantly, there have been no interventions done to improve the minimization of the level of SNS addiction in this vulnerable cohort. This study will evaluate the effect of implementing targeted interventions for reducing the burden of SNS addiction so that in the future, evidence-based decisions may be taken and changes are incorporated in school curriculums.
Interventions
Interventions will be designed and categorized based on the insights received earlier. They were extracted through the conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) (from all age groups and class levels ) & In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) from all stakeholders. FGDs were conducted by trained researchers in Qualitative studies, from school-going adolescents, one each from each grade with a total of 36 participants. Additionally, 2 more FGDs were conducted with 6 participants each, who were the parents of
Interventions will be designed and categorized based on the insights received earlier. They were extracted through the conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) (from all age groups and class levels ) & In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) from all stakeholders. FGDs were conducted by trained researchers in Qualitative studies, from school-going adolescents, one each from each grade with a total of 36 participants. Additionally, 2 more FGDs were conducted with 6 participants each, who were the parents of the school-going adolescents. Furthermore, 2 IDIs were done with school heads for their relevant insights. Interventions will be designed specifically for this study and will then be pilot-tested to assess cultural appropriateness. Furthermore, a psychologist who will be a part of the research team (co-supervisor) will check them for language, accuracy and for use among different age groups of adolescents. They will be conducted in the form of weekly vlogs shared with adolescents in the intervention arm. There will be 02 to 05 minutes duration videos shared every weekend (on Saturdays & Sundays) with a WhatsApp number provided at the end to reach out in case of any further queries. These vlogs will be shared by sharing their link through Dropbox (video storage platform) over a period of four weeks based on different issues like SNS problematic usage and its effect on mental health, sleep, academic performance, etc. Students will be reminded to watch the videos two days prior to uploading of videos. Throughout the week, crisp and smart reinforcement messages will be sent to them via their email/WhatsApp to recognize the importance of moderated use of SNS. The taking of screenshots of the vlogs will be encouraged as daily reminders for adolescents. Participants will be given a checklist to fill at the end of watching video, which will be shared over WhatsApp to ensure adherence. That checklist will be handed over to the PI at the end of the intervention period.
Sponsors
Dow University of Health Sciences
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
11 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Age between 11-16 years Either male or female (or any other gender) User of any of the listed social media (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr, TikTok or Discord) for the past one year In possession of a functioning laptop/smartphone for attending online intervention vlogs and receiving text messages
Exclusion criteria
Any student undergoing psychiatric or psychological treatment/ counseling Any student taking anti-psychotics or any treatment for chronic disorders (diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, asthma) Any student suffering from chronic mental illness, e.g. depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc. Any student who has suffered a major trauma in the past year, e.g. death of a loved one, accident, etc.
Outcome results
None listed