PregnancySWIPE LEFTNCT07812506
Social Media Withdrawal in Pregnancy: Effects on Maternal Mental Health and Misinformation
A study testing Brick device in people with Pregnancy, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if restricting social media use with a hardware device can improve mental health and well-being during pregnancy. It will also learn about the feasibility and acceptability of this approach. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Pregnancy
- What is being tested?
- Brick device
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 70 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2026to Dec 2027
- 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 18 years and older
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age ≥18 years
- Pregnant, with a viable pregnancy at 20-24 weeks' gestation
- English fluency
- Daily use of a personal iOS smartphone (iOS 17 or later).
- Average social media screen time of at least 30 minutes per day, verified at enrollment via the iOS Screen Time report.
Who cannot join
- 1. Non-viable pregnancy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
About this study
Official title: SWIPE LEFT: Social Media Withdrawal in Pregnancy - Effects on Maternal Mental Health and Misinformation
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if restricting social media use with a hardware device can improve mental health and well-being during pregnancy. It will also learn about the feasibility and acceptability of this approach.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read more
- Does restricting social media use lower the amount of time participants spend on social media?
- Does restricting social media use improve depression, anxiety, well-being, loneliness, sleep, and physical activity?
Researchers will compare participants who use a device (Brick™) that restricts social media apps to participants receiving usual care to see if the device improves social media use and mental health outcomes.
Participants will:
- Complete surveys about mood, sleep, and social media use, and wear/carry a smartphone app that tracks activity and sleep
- Use the Brick device to restrict social media apps for 2 weeks, or continue their usual phone use
- Complete follow-up surveys at the end of the 4-week study
- Conditions
- Pregnancy
- Being tested
- Brick device
- Keywords
- social media addiction, social media, pregnancy, mental health
- Medical subject headings
- Internet Addiction Disorder, Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Brick deviceDevice
A hardware-based device that restricts access to user-selected social media applications by requiring physical interaction with the device to unlock them. Participants in the intervention arm will use the device continuously to block access to selected social media apps during a 2-week intervention period, following a 2-week baseline monitoring period. The device is not an FDA-regulated medical device and functions as a consumer hardware tool. Participants may voluntarily reverse the intervention (unlock the device) at any point during the study.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Participants randomized to this arm will complete a 2-week baseline monitoring period followed by a 2-week intervention period. During the intervention period, participants will receive the Brick™ device, a hardware-based tool that restricts access to user-selected social media applications by requiring physical interaction with the device to unlock them. Participants will be instructed on device use and asked to use it continuously to block access to their selected social media apps for the duration of the 2-week intervention period. Participants may voluntarily reverse the intervention at any point during the study. Receives: Device: Brick device |
| Usual Care | No intervention | Participants randomized to this arm will complete a 2-week baseline monitoring period followed by a 2-week period of continued usual smartphone and social media behavior, without any restriction on app access. No intervention device or procedure is administered during this period. As additional compensation, participants in this arm will receive a Brick™ device following completion of all study procedures. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percent reduction in social media screen time
Daily social media screen time, defined as total minutes per day spent in social media applications as captured by the device-native iOS Screen Time report, averaged across each 14-day observation window. For each participant, percent reduction is calculated as:
[(mean baseline daily minutes - mean post-intervention daily minutes) / mean baseline daily minutes] × 100 where the baseline value is the mean of daily social media minutes over the 14 days preceding randomization and the follow-up value is the mean over the 14-day window at the end of the intervention period. Mean percent reduction will be compared between the intervention (Brick device) group and the usual care group.
Measured: 2-week intervention period
Secondary outcomes (8)
Recruitment rate
Number of participants enrolled and randomized, expressed as a proportion of those screened and confirmed eligible, and as the mean number enrolled per month over the recruitment period.
Measured: Through completion of enrollment (approximately 9 months)
Retention rate
Proportion of randomized participants who complete the end-of-intervention assessment with evaluable primary outcome data (iOS Screen Time report for the final 14-day window)
Measured: 2-week intervention period
Adherence to Brick device use
Among participants randomized to the intervention, the proportion of the number of minutes during which the Brick device was in use divided by the number of minutes during the active intervention period; reported as the group mean and as the proportion of participants achieving ≥90% adherent days.
Measured: 2-week intervention period
Change in EPDS Score at 4 weeks
Change in depressive symptoms from enrollment to study completion, measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The EPDS is a 10-item self-report questionnaire; each item is scored 0 to 3 and summed for a total score ranging from 0 to 30. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms (a worse outcome). Change is calculated as the study-completion score minus the baseline score, yielding a possible range of -30 to +30, where negative values indicate improvement.
Measured: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in GAD-7 score at 4 weeks
Change in anxiety symptoms from baseline to study completion, measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7). The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-report questionnaire; each item is scored 0 to 3 and summed for a total score ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms (a worse outcome). Change is calculated as the study-completion score minus the baseline score, yielding a possible range of -21 to +21, where negative values indicate improvement.
Measured: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in WHO-5 Score at 4 weeks
Change in well-being from baseline to study completion, measured using the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The WHO-5 is a 5-item self-report questionnaire; each item is scored 0 to 5 and summed for a raw score of 0 to 25, which is multiplied by 4 to yield a final score ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater well-being (a better outcome). Change is calculated as the study-completion score minus the baseline score, yielding a possible range of -100 to +100, where positive values indicate improvement.
Measured: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in UCLA-LS-3 score at 4 weeks
Change in loneliness from baseline to study completion, measured using the Three-Item UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS-3). The UCLA-LS-3 is a 3-item self-report questionnaire; each item is scored 1 to 3 and summed for a total score ranging from 3 to 9. Higher scores indicate greater loneliness (a worse outcome). Change is calculated as the study-completion score minus the baseline score, yielding a possible range of -6 to +6, where negative values indicate improvement.
Measured: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in B-PSQI Score at 4 weeks
Change in sleep quality from baseline to study completion, measured using the Brief Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (B-PSQI). The B-PSQI is a 6-item self-report questionnaire yielding five scored components (subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and frequency of night awakenings), each scored 0 to 3 and summed for a global score ranging from 0 to 15. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality (a worse outcome). Change is calculated as the study-completion score minus the baseline score, yielding a possible range of -15 to +15, where negative values indicate improvement.
Measured: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Sep 2026
- Study start1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (6)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for PregnancyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lydia Shook, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07812506
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2026P001582
- Acronym
- SWIPE LEFT
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 10 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Onnela, J.-P. et al. Beiwe: A data collection platform for high-throughput digital phenotyping. J. Open Source Softw. 6, 3417 (2021).
Facco FL, Kramer J, Ho KH, Zee PC, Grobman WA. Sleep disturbances in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Jan;115(1):77-83. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181c4f8ec.
PubMed 20027038Screening and Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4. Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Jun 1;141(6):1232-1261. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005200.
PubMed 37486660Bilali A, Katsiroumpa A, Koutelekos I, Dafogianni C, Gallos P, Moisoglou I, Galanis P. Association Between TikTok Use and Anxiety, Depression, and Sleepiness Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece. Pediatr Rep. 2025 Mar 11;17(2):34. doi: 10.3390/pediatric17020034.
PubMed 40126233Calvert E, Cipriani M, Dwyer B, Lisowski V, Mikkelson J, Chen K, Flathers M, Hau C, Xia W, Castillo J, Dhima A, Ryan S, Torous J. Social Media Detox and Youth Mental Health. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Nov 3;8(11):e2545245. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.45245.
PubMed 41284297Waring ME, Blackman Carr LT, Heersping GE. Social Media Use Among Parents and Women of Childbearing Age in the US. Prev Chronic Dis. 2023 Feb 16;20:E07. doi: 10.5888/pcd20.220194.
PubMed 36796010
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- SWIPE LEFT: Social Media Withdrawal in Pregnancy - Effects on Maternal Mental Health and Misinformation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07812506
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SWIPE LEFT / 2026P001582
- Conditions
- Pregnancy
- Keywords
- social media addiction, social media, pregnancy, mental health
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Sep 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.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if restricting social media use with a hardware device can improve mental health and well-being during pregnancy. It will also learn about the feasibility and acceptability of this approach.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does restricting social media use lower the amount of time participants spend on social media?
- Does restricting social media use improve depression, anxiety, well-being, loneliness, sleep, and physical activity?
Researchers will compare participants who use a device (Brick™) that restricts social media apps to participants receiving usual care to see if the device improves social media use and mental health outcomes.
Participants will:
- Complete surveys about mood, sleep, and social media use, and wear/carry a smartphone app that tracks activity and sleep
- Use the Brick device to restrict social media apps for 2 weeks, or continue their usual phone use
- Complete follow-up surveys at the end of the 4-week study
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Device: Brick deviceParticipants randomized to this arm will complete a 2-week baseline monitoring period followed by a 2-week intervention period. During the intervention period, participants will receive the Brick™ device, a hardware-based tool that restricts access to user-selected social media applications by requiring physical interaction with the device to unlock them. Participants will be instructed on device use and asked to use it continuously to block access to their selected social media apps for the duration of the 2-week intervention period. Participants may voluntarily reverse the intervention at any point during the study. |
| Usual Care | No intervention | –Participants randomized to this arm will complete a 2-week baseline monitoring period followed by a 2-week period of continued usual smartphone and social media behavior, without any restriction on app access. No intervention device or procedure is administered during this period. As additional compensation, participants in this arm will receive a Brick™ device following completion of all study procedures. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age ≥18 years
- Pregnant, with a viable pregnancy at 20-24 weeks' gestation
- English fluency
- Daily use of a personal iOS smartphone (iOS 17 or later).
- Average social media screen time of at least 30 minutes per day, verified at enrollment via the iOS Screen Time report.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 1. Non-viable pregnancy
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Brick deviceA hardware-based device that restricts access to user-selected social media applications by requiring physical interaction with the device to unlock them. Participants in the intervention arm will use the device continuously to block access to selected social media apps during a 2-week intervention period, following a 2-week baseline monitoring period. The device is not an FDA-regulated medical device and functions as a consumer hardware tool. Participants may voluntarily reverse the intervention (unlock the device) at any point during the study. | Device | Intervention |
Primary outcome
Percent reduction in social media screen time
Time frame: 2-week intervention period
Daily social media screen time, defined as total minutes per day spent in social media applications as captured by the device-native iOS Screen Time report, averaged across each 14-day observation window. For each participant, percent reduction is calculated as: [(mean baseline daily minutes - mean post-intervention daily minutes) / mean baseline daily minutes] × 100 where the baseline value is the mean of daily social media minutes over the 14 days preceding randomization and the follow-up value is the mean over the 14-day window at the end of the intervention period. Mean percent reduction will be compared between the intervention (Brick device) group and the usual care group.
8 secondary outcomes
Recruitment rate
Time frame: Through completion of enrollment (approximately 9 months)
Retention rate
Time frame: 2-week intervention period
Adherence to Brick device use
Time frame: 2-week intervention period
Change in EPDS Score at 4 weeks
Time frame: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in GAD-7 score at 4 weeks
Time frame: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in WHO-5 Score at 4 weeks
Time frame: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in UCLA-LS-3 score at 4 weeks
Time frame: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
Change in B-PSQI Score at 4 weeks
Time frame: Enrollment to study completion (4 weeks)
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 10 Sep 2026.
- BackgroundOnnela, J.-P. et al. Beiwe: A data collection platform for high-throughput digital phenotyping. J. Open Source Softw. 6, 3417 (2021).
- Background: PubMed 20027038Facco FL, Kramer J, Ho KH, Zee PC, Grobman WA. Sleep disturbances in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Jan;115(1):77-83. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181c4f8ec.
- Background: PubMed 37486660Screening and Diagnosis of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 4. Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Jun 1;141(6):1232-1261. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005200.
- Background: PubMed 40126233Bilali A, Katsiroumpa A, Koutelekos I, Dafogianni C, Gallos P, Moisoglou I, Galanis P. Association Between TikTok Use and Anxiety, Depression, and Sleepiness Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece. Pediatr Rep. 2025 Mar 11;17(2):34. doi: 10.3390/pediatric17020034.
- Background: PubMed 41284297Calvert E, Cipriani M, Dwyer B, Lisowski V, Mikkelson J, Chen K, Flathers M, Hau C, Xia W, Castillo J, Dhima A, Ryan S, Torous J. Social Media Detox and Youth Mental Health. JAMA Netw Open. 2025 Nov 3;8(11):e2545245. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.45245.
- Background: PubMed 36796010Waring ME, Blackman Carr LT, Heersping GE. Social Media Use Among Parents and Women of Childbearing Age in the US. Prev Chronic Dis. 2023 Feb 16;20:E07. doi: 10.5888/pcd20.220194.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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 Brick device in people with Pregnancy, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
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 1 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Sep 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 United States. 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 Lydia Shook, MD ((617) 724-0287, lshook@mgh.harvard.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Percent reduction in social media screen time (time frame: 2-week intervention period). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07812506, which also lists 6 linked publications.
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 10 Sep 2026.