Are you still looking for collaborators?
We are unfortunately not still looking for collaborators.
Can you tell me more about the experimental design?
The experimental design will closely follow prior social media deactivation experiments, such as Alcott et. al (2020), or Asimovic et. al (2022).
How many participants will be collected per country?
We are aiming to collect a minimum sample size of 200 people per country. We will consider exceptions to this target sample size on a case-by-case basis for certain countries where data is especially hard to collect. All data will be collected via survey companies (such as Bilendi).
Since we have submitted this experiment as a registered report–which is currently under review–our specific methods, plans, and timeline may change pending reviewer comments.
How will participants be recruited?
Participants will be recruited via survey companies (e.g. Bilendi).
What is the timeline of the experiment?
We collected pilot data in 2024, submitted the Registered Report in 2025, and plan on collecting data for the full experiment this academic year (2025-26).
How will you check if people complied with the experiment?
We plan to measure compliance using screenshots of social media screen-time.
Do I need ethics approval before collecting data?
Ethics approval will either be received by NYU or another participating institution for each country.
What social media platforms are you focusing on?
We plan to have people reduce their smartphone social media screen-time on a few key social media platforms, such as Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. This may differ for countries that do not have these platforms.
What if I have more questions?
You can contact the research team at globalsocialmediastudy@gmail.com. Please note that we will not be able to answer all questions immediately.
The Global Social Media Experiment 