Reactions to Social Media Warning Labels Among Teens and Young Adults

Summary

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate whether social media warnings are perceived as more effective than control labels among teens and young adults, and to identify the most promising topics for social media warnings for these age groups. A secondary objective is to compare perceived message effectiveness of warnings refined using artificial intelligence (AI) vs. those not refined using AI.

Conditions

• Screen Time Exposure

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Artificial-intelligence-developed depression and anxiety warning

Participants will view a message about the risk of social media use contributing to depression and anxiety. The message was developed using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Artificial-intelligence-developed negative body image warning

Participants will view a message about the risk of social media use contributing to negative body. The message was developed using artificial intelligence

BEHAVIORAL

Human-developed negative body image warning

Participants will view a message about the risk of social media use contributing to negative body. The message was developed by humans without using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Voluntary warning

Participants will view a message suggesting user take a break from scrolling on social media. The message was developed by humans without using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Human-developed depression and anxiety warning

Participants will view a message about the risk of social media use contributing to depression and anxiety. The message was developed by humans without using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Human-developed addiction warning

Participants will view a message warning that social media can be addictive. The message was developed by humans without using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Human-developed sleep warning

Participants will view a message that social media use can contribute to poor sleep quality. The message was developed by humans without using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Human-developed mental health harms to young people warning

Participants will view a message about the risk of social media use contributing to mental health harms for some young people. The message was developed by humans without using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Human-developed warning that social media has not been proven safe

Participants will view a message warning that the use of social media has not been proven safe for young people. The message was developed by humans without using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Control message

Participants will view a message about encouraging seatbelt use while traveling in a vehicle.

BEHAVIORAL

California's proposed social media warning

Participants will view a message warning about the harms of social media use that mirrors the language the state of California has proposed for mandatory social media warnings.

BEHAVIORAL

Artificial-intelligence-developed addiction warning

Participants will view a message warning that social media can be addictive. The message was developed using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Artificial-intelligence-developed sleep warning

Participants will view a message that social media use can contribute to poor sleep quality. The message was developed using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Artificial-intelligence-developed mental health harms to young people warning

Participants will view a message about the risk of social media use contributing to mental health harms for some young people. The message was developed using artificial intelligence.

BEHAVIORAL

Artificial-intelligence-developed warning that social media has not been proven safe

Participants will view a message warning that the use of social media has not been proven safe for young people. The message was developed using artificial intelligence.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Stanford University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Anna H. Grummon, PhD · Stanford School of Medicine

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

29 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-02

Primary Completion

2025-12-16

Completion

2025-12-16

Countries

• United States

Study Locations