Promoting Self-Regulated Social Media Use on Smartphones With a Mobile Intervention App (Wellspent): Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Digital well-being
• Mobile health interventions
• Behavioral psychology

Background:

• Problematic social media use is linked to poor well-being and impulse control.
• Existing digital self-control apps often lack customization, limiting effectiveness.
• The impact of such apps on problematic social media use requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Wellspent app, a customizable mobile intervention.
• To assess its ability to promote self-regulated social media use through personalized nudges.
• To determine its impact on problematic social media and smartphone use.

Main Methods:

• A 3-week randomized controlled trial involving 70 iPhone users.
• Intervention group received personalized time-limit reminders for social media apps.
• Weekly surveys measured problematic social media/smartphone use, self-efficacy, and screen time.

Main Results:

• The intervention group significantly reduced daily screen time on their most problematic app by ~29 minutes.
• A significant decrease in perceived problematic smartphone use was observed.
• No significant changes in problematic social media use or self-efficacy were found.

Conclusions:

• The Wellspent app shows short-term efficacy in reducing problematic smartphone use.
• Customizable digital interventions hold promise for supporting healthier digital habits.
• Further research is needed on long-term effects and specific feature impacts.