Social Media Withdrawal in Pregnancy: Effects on Maternal Mental Health and Misinformation

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:

• 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

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥18 years
2. Pregnant, with a viable pregnancy at 20-24 weeks' gestation
3. English fluency
4. Daily use of a personal iOS smartphone (iOS 17 or later).
5. Average social media screen time of at least 30 minutes per day, verified at enrollment via the iOS Screen Time report.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Non-viable pregnancy