Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Social Media Addiction Among School-Going Adolescents in Karachi

NCT07277621 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: IRB-3760
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 260
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

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. Objective The specific objectives of this study are to estimate the prevalence of SNS addiction and to explore the perceptions of school-going adolescents regarding SNS addiction in metropolitan Karachi, Pakistan. It will further aim to introduce well-designed, online, tailored behavioral change interventions amongst students found with a high burden for significantly decreasing the prevalence of SNS addiction and for assessing their readiness to change. Methodology This will be a mixed-methods concurrent embedded interventional study. The study will be conducted in selected private schools of Karachi in all its seven Districts. Prevalence will be assessed online by sharing an internationally validated tool with the students after getting students and their parent's consent. Concurrently, focus group discussions will be conducted in school premises with selected students from grades VI-XI. Once prevalence is ascertained, interventions will be designed to reduce levels of SNS addiction. Students will be randomly assigned to control and intervention groups and will be shown carefully designed interventions in the form of videos targeting specific domains of addiction. The effects of these interventions and readiness to change will be assessed after a period of three months.

Conditions

Internet Addiction Disorder

Keywords

Social media addiction; Behavioral change interventions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Social Networking Site Addiction Score using Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS)

  This outcome will assess the change in social networking site addiction levels among participating adolescents from baseline to 3 months follow-up. The Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), a validated 6-item self-report tool, will be used to measure addiction severity. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5), yielding a total score range of 6 to 30, with higher scores indicating greater risk of addiction. Unit of Measure: Score (range 6-30) (Change in total BSMAS score from baseline to 3-month follow-up)

  from baseline to 3 months post intervention

• Readiness to Change Score using the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (SOCRATES - Adapted for SNS use)

  Readiness to change problematic social networking site (SNS) use will be assessed using the SOCRATES (Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale) adapted specifically for SNS behaviors. The SOCRATES tool consists of three subscales: Recognition - awareness of problematic SNS use Ambivalence - uncertainty about behavior change Taking Steps - active efforts to reduce problematic SNS use Participants respond to Likert-scale items (1-5), and subscale scores are summed to generate total scores for each domain. Higher scores indicate greater readiness and motivation to change SNS-related behaviors. Unit of Measure: Subscale Score (continuous) Recognition Score (range depends on adapted item count) Ambivalence Score Taking Steps Score

  intervention for a month and follow-up of 3 months

Study Arms (2)

intervention arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Description and content: Students in the intervention arm will receive a structured package of online, pre-recorded behavioral change videos specifically tailored for adolescents. Content domains include: Emotional regulation and coping skills Time management and self-monitoring of SNS use Sleep hygiene and evening routines Alternatives to SNS (physical activity, hobbies, face-to-face socializing) Awareness of risks, privacy, and cyber-safety Videos are short (5-8 minutes each), modular, and age-appropriate. The full intervention comprises 4 weekly modules delivered over 4 weeks, with follow-up reinforcement messages during weeks 5-12. Timing: Intervention delivered over 4 weeks, with follow-up assessments at 3 months post-baseline.

Behavioral: awareness videos

control group

NO INTERVENTION

Description: Students in control schools will not receive the behavioral video intervention during the 3-month study period and will continue their usual school activities. Control group students will receive standard health promotion pamphlets unrelated to SNS behavior (to maintain basic equity of information) if required by school administration. After completion of follow-up data collection (3 months), the intervention package will be offered to control group students (delayed-intervention / wait-list) to ensure ethical fairness and benefit sharing. Timing: No active intervention during the 3-month evaluation window. Post-study access to intervention materials will be provided.

Interventions

awareness videos BEHAVIORAL

this is a public health study whereby awareness videos will be shared with the intervention group to study behavior change for their addiction

intervention arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 11 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dow University of Health Sciences: lead

Study Sites (1)

Dow University of health Sciences

Karachi, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Internet Addiction Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Technology Addiction; Behavior, Addictive; Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior

Study Officials

• Zaeema Ahmer

  Dow University of Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD Scholar

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 20, 2025
• First Posted: December 11, 2025
• Study Start: October 10, 2025
• Primary Completion: January 10, 2026
• Study Completion: January 10, 2026
• Last Updated: February 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
• Time Frame: Immediately following publication. No end date.
• Access Criteria: Requests should be made to corresponding author for access

Locations

PA (1)