LonelinessThe Effect ofNCT07473791
Social Media Diet and Psychological Outcomes in University Students
A study testing Social Media Diet in people with Loneliness and Fear of Missing Out, run by Gümüşhane Universıty at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
This study aims to examine the effect of a social media diet intervention on loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep quality among university students. Excessive social media use has been associated with several negative psychological outcomes, including increased loneliness, heightened FoMO, and poor sleep… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 17 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Loneliness, Fear of Missing Out, Sleep Quality
- What is being tested?
- Social Media Diet
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 70 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 10 Mar 2026to Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 17 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- 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.
Who cannot join
- 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.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Gümüşhane University
Gümüşhane, Gümüşhane Province, 29600
Hatun Erkuran, Asst. Prof.Dr., 05424262879, htn_erkran@hotmail.com
About this study
Official title: The Effect of a Social Media Diet on Loneliness, Fear of Missing Out, and Sleep Quality Among University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study aims to examine the effect of a social media diet intervention on loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep quality among university students. Excessive social media use has been associated with several negative psychological outcomes, including increased loneliness, heightened FoMO, and poor sleep quality.
In this randomized controlled trial, university students will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. Participants in the experimental group will follow a social media diet intervention that involves limiting daily social media use for a specified period, while participants in the control group will continue their usual social media use without restrictions.
Loneliness, FoMO, and sleep quality will be measured at baseline and after the intervention using validated scales. The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence on whether reducing social media use can improve psychological well-being and sleep quality among university students.
Read the detailed description
This study aims to investigate the effects of a social media diet intervention on loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep quality among university students. With the widespread use of digital technologies, social media has become an integral part of daily life, particularly among young adults and university students. Although social media platforms provide opportunities for communication and information sharing, excessive and uncontrolled use has been associated with several negative psychological outcomes, including increased loneliness, higher levels of FoMO, and poor sleep quality.
FoMO refers to the pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, and it has been identified as an important psychological mechanism that drives excessive social media engagement. Continuous exposure to social media content and the pressure to stay constantly connected may contribute to sleep disturbances and reduced well-being among university students.
In recent years, the concept of a "social media diet" or digital detox has emerged as a potential strategy to reduce the negative effects of excessive social media use. A social media diet generally refers to intentionally limiting the amount of time spent on social media platforms in order to improve psychological well-being and daily functioning.
This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial with university students. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will follow a social media diet by limiting their daily social media use for a specified intervention period, while the control group will continue their usual social media use without restrictions. Data will be collected at baseline and after the intervention period using validated scales measuring loneliness, FoMO, and sleep quality.
The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the growing body of evidence on behavioral interventions aimed at reducing problematic social media use and improving mental well-being and sleep health among university students
- Conditions
- Loneliness, Fear of Missing Out, Sleep Quality
- Being tested
- Social Media Diet
- Keywords
- Social Media Diet, Digital Detox, University Students, Behavioral Intervention, Randomized Controlled Trial
- Medical subject headings
- Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Social Media DietBehavioural
Also called digital detox
Participants in the control group will continue their usual social media use without any restrictions during the study period.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Diet Intervention | Experimental | Participants assigned to the experimental group will follow a social media diet intervention aimed at reducing daily social media usage. They will be instructed to limit their daily social media use to a maximum of 30 minutes per day for the duration of the intervention period (e.g., four weeks). Participants will be encouraged to monitor their usage through smartphone screen-time tracking tools. Receives: Behavioral: Social Media Diet |
| Usual Social Media Use | No intervention | Participants in the control group will continue their usual social media usage without any restrictions or behavioral intervention during the study period. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Scale Score
Evaluation of the level of anxiety related to missing experiences on social media. The scale consists of 10 items (or the specific version you use), with scores ranging from [Min Score] to [Max Score]. Higher scores indicate a higher level of fear of missing out.
Measured: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 4).
Secondary outcomes (2)
UCLA Loneliness Scale Score
Measurement of subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The scale consists of 20 items. Total scores range from 20 to 80, where higher scores reflect greater perceived loneliness.
Measured: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 4).
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Global Score
Assessment of sleep quality over a 1-month period. The global score ranges from 0 to 21. A total score of 5 or greater indicates "poor" sleep quality.
Measured: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 4).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Mar 2026
- Study start10 Mar 2026
- Primary completionJul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionAug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for LonelinessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving the social media diet intervention or a control group continuing their usual social media use. Outcomes will be compared between groups.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Gümüşhane Universıty
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hatun Erkuran, Gümüşhane Universıty
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07473791
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Gumushane University Kelkit
- Acronym
- The Effect of
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Mar 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The individual participant data collected during the study will not be shared with third parties to ensure the confidentiality of the participants and in accordance with the informed consent form approved by the ethics committee.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of a Social Media Diet on Loneliness, Fear of Missing Out, and Sleep Quality Among University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07473791
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- The Effect of / Gumushane University Kelkit
- Conditions
- Loneliness, Fear of Missing Out, Sleep Quality
- Keywords
- Social Media Diet, Digital Detox, University Students, Behavioral Intervention, Randomized Controlled Trial
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Gümüşhane UniversıtyUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to examine the effect of a social media diet intervention on loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep quality among university students. Excessive social media use has been associated with several negative psychological outcomes, including increased loneliness, heightened FoMO, and poor sleep quality.
In this randomized controlled trial, university students will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. Participants in the experimental group will follow a social media diet intervention that involves limiting daily social media use for a specified period, while participants in the control group will continue their usual social media use without restrictions.
Loneliness, FoMO, and sleep quality will be measured at baseline and after the intervention using validated scales. The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence on whether reducing social media use can improve psychological well-being and sleep quality among university students.
Detailed description
This study aims to investigate the effects of a social media diet intervention on loneliness, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep quality among university students. With the widespread use of digital technologies, social media has become an integral part of daily life, particularly among young adults and university students. Although social media platforms provide opportunities for communication and information sharing, excessive and uncontrolled use has been associated with several negative psychological outcomes, including increased loneliness, higher levels of FoMO, and poor sleep quality.
FoMO refers to the pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent, and it has been identified as an important psychological mechanism that drives excessive social media engagement. Continuous exposure to social media content and the pressure to stay constantly connected may contribute to sleep disturbances and reduced well-being among university students.
In recent years, the concept of a "social media diet" or digital detox has emerged as a potential strategy to reduce the negative effects of excessive social media use. A social media diet generally refers to intentionally limiting the amount of time spent on social media platforms in order to improve psychological well-being and daily functioning.
This study will be conducted as a randomized controlled trial with university students. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will follow a social media diet by limiting their daily social media use for a specified intervention period, while the control group will continue their usual social media use without restrictions. Data will be collected at baseline and after the intervention period using validated scales measuring loneliness, FoMO, and sleep quality.
The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the growing body of evidence on behavioral interventions aimed at reducing problematic social media use and improving mental well-being and sleep health among university students
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving the social media diet intervention or a control group continuing their usual social media use. Outcomes will be compared between groups.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media Diet Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Social Media DietParticipants assigned to the experimental group will follow a social media diet intervention aimed at reducing daily social media usage. They will be instructed to limit their daily social media use to a maximum of 30 minutes per day for the duration of the intervention period (e.g., four weeks). Participants will be encouraged to monitor their usage through smartphone screen-time tracking tools. |
| Usual Social Media Use | No intervention | –Participants in the control group will continue their usual social media usage without any restrictions or behavioral intervention during the study period. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 17 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 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.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 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.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Social Media DietAlso: digital detoxParticipants in the control group will continue their usual social media use without any restrictions during the study period. | Behavioural | Social Media Diet Intervention |
Primary outcome
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Scale Score
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 4).
Evaluation of the level of anxiety related to missing experiences on social media. The scale consists of 10 items (or the specific version you use), with scores ranging from [Min Score] to [Max Score]. Higher scores indicate a higher level of fear of missing out.
2 secondary outcomes
UCLA Loneliness Scale Score
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 4).
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Global Score
Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 4).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The individual participant data collected during the study will not be shared with third parties to ensure the confidentiality of the participants and in accordance with the informed consent form approved by the ethics committee.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Social Media Diet in people with Loneliness and Fear of Missing Out, run by Gümüşhane Universıty at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Hatun Erkuran, Asst. Prof.Dr. (+905424262879, htn_erkran@hotmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Scale Score (time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 4).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Aug 2026.