Prevalence of Problematic Use of Social Media (PURPLE)

Prevalence of Problematic Use of Social Media in the General PopuLation

In 2023, French individuals spend an average of two hours per day on social media platforms (SM), primarily Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. While social media offers undeniable benefits, it also raises concerns about its impact on mental health and well-being. These impacts remain poorly understood, partly due to the diversity of social media uses and motivations, which do not have uniform effects on health. For instance, studies have shown that "active" use of social media (e.g., content creation) is associated with higher well-being, whereas "passive" use (e.g., content scrolling) is linked to lower well-being.

This challenge in understanding the variety of social media uses and their consequences has direct clinical implications. Clinicians working in pediatrics, child psychiatry, and addiction medicine are increasingly confronted with patients struggling to manage their social media use. However, they lack clear diagnostic criteria to differentiate between normal and problematic use, as well as specific tools tailored to address potential disorders.

Moreover, in France, there is no existing estimate of the proportion of the general population affected by problematic social media use.

This study aims to establish the prevalence of problematic use of social media in France. The investigators hypothesize that the prevalence will be close to 10%, which is the prevalence that has been found in other European countries in previous studies.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Addiction; Social Networks
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Self-administered survey

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1000

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Julia DE TERNAY, Dr; Phone Number: +33 +33 04 72 11 78 52; Email: Julia.daviau-de-ternay@chu-lyon.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Lyon, France, 69003
    • Hospices Civils de Lyon
    • Contact: Julia DE TERNAY, Dr; Phone Number: +33 +33 04 72 11 78 52; Email: Julia.daviau-de-ternay@chu-lyon.fr
    • Principal Investigator: Julia DE TERNAY, Dr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Panel population (probability sample):The first study population will consist of a panel of 3,900 participants provided by the Selvitys Institute. These participants are selected using probability sampling methods to ensure that they are representative of the general French population aged 13 years or older. The selection is based on key demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and geographic location, level of education, ensuring a diverse and balanced sample.

Social media population (non-probability sample):The second study population will consist of individuals who voluntarily respond to the online self-administered questionnaire through recruitment campaigns on social media platforms. This non-probability sample is composed of individuals who actively use social media and are interested in participating. As participation is voluntary, the sample may not fully represent the broader French population but will provide insights into social media users' behavior and experiences

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 13 years or older.
• Resident in France and French-speaking.
• Does not object to participating in the study, and, for minors, whose parents also do not object to their participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to understand and complete the questionnaire (e.g., non-French-speaking).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Intervention / Treatment

Social media users; All French individuals aged 13 years or older who use social media

Other: Self-administered survey; An anonymous self-administered online questionnaire hosted on LimeSurvey, lasting approximately 20 minutes, will be completed by participants. A panel of participants representative of the general population will be provided by the Selvitys Institute. In parallel, the self-administered questionnaire will also be distributed via posts on social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X) over a period of three months.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Prevalence of problematic use of social media.	Outcome measure: Problematic use will be identified if the participant endorses at least 6 out of 9 items on the French version of the Social Media Addiction Scale. The prevalence of problematic use will be calculated as the number of participants with problematic use divided by the total number of participants.	baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hospices Civils de Lyon
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Julia DE TERNAY, Dr, Hospices Civils de Lyon

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 20, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 27, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 28, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: addiction; social media; Problematic use
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Compulsive Behavior; Impulsive Behavior; Behavior, Addictive
• Other Study ID Numbers: 69HCL24_0042; 2024-A02539-38 (Other Identifier: ID-RCB)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No