NOMO app and teenage social media use: a randomised controlled trial in England and Wales

Changes in social media usage among teenage smartphone users in the UK: a randomised controlled trial of the NOMO app

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN11151579

Enrollment

14000

Registered

2025-11-18

Start date

2025-11-03

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-03-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Social media usage, distraction, life satisfaction, sleep Other

Interventions

Control (comparison arm): The comparison group is a waitlist control arm. Pupils in schools assigned to this arm are expected to continue with their business-as-usual social media practices during the

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

12 Years to 16 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Being a Year 9 or Year 10 pupil in a participating UK secondary school

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Withdrawal from the evaluation by a parent or guardian

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Social media usage measured using a self-report 9-point scale questionnaire item at baseline (November 2025) and endline (February 2026). The specific item wording is: “Thinking about your last full school day, how much time in total do you think you spent using social media apps (like TikTok, Instagram, etc.) over the entire 24-hour day?”	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Distraction is measured using a self-report 7-point Likert scale questionnaire item, adapted from the Online Homework Distraction Scale (ODHS) at baseline (November 2025) and endline (February 2026). The specific item wording is: “I stop my homework to check my social media (e.g., Instagram, TikTok)". Exploratory outcome #1: Life Satisfaction is measured using a self-report 7-point Likert scale questionnaire item from the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) at baseline (November 2025) and endline (February 2026). The specific item wording is: “I am satisfied with my life”.o Exploratory outcome #2: Sleep quality is measured using a self-report 11-point scale questionnaire item from the Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) at baseline (November 2025) and endline (February 2026). The specific item wording is: “Thinking about the past 7 days, how would you rate the quality of your sleep overall?”. The scale ranges from "Terrible" (0) to "Excellent" (10).	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Distraction is measured using a self-report 7-point Likert scale questionnaire item, adapted from the Online Homework Distraction Scale (ODHS) at baseline (November 2025) and endline (February 2026). The specific item wording is: “I stop my homework to check my social media (e.g., Instagram, TikTok)". Exploratory outcome #1: Life Satisfaction is measured using a self-report 7-point Likert scale questionnaire item from the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) at baseline (November 2025) and endline (February 2026). The specific item wording is: “I am satisfied with my life”.o Exploratory outcome #2: Sleep quality is measured using a self-report 11-point scale questionnaire item from the Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) at baseline (November 2025) and endline (February 2026). The specific item wording is: “Thinking about the past 7 days, how would you rate the quality of your sleep overall?”. The scale ranges from "Terrible" (0) to "Excellent" (10).

—

Countries

England, United Kingdom, Wales

Contacts

Public ContactCallum O'Mahony

callum.omahony@bi.team+44 (0) 207 438 2500

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 14, 2026