Innovations in Practice: A Pilot Randomised Trial on Smartphone Abstinence: Effects on Sleep Quality and Psychological Well-being in Adolescents

There is growing concern that smartphones and social media (S/SM) disrupt adolescent sleep, wellbeing and cognition, yet causal evidence from robust interventions is limited. To assess the acceptability of a total 21-day S/SM detox we conducted a preregistered (https://osf.io/79zd2) pilot randomised control trial with eighty-two adolescents aged 13-18 years from UK schools. Participants were randomly assigned to a total S/SM ban (N=26), total S/SM ban with access to a basic “brick” phone (N=26) or a business-as-usual control (N=30). Pre-and post-intervention measures of sleep, wellbeing, and cognition were collected using surveys, wearables, and cognitive tasks. Retention was high, with 13% attrition across groups. At 21-days, both ban conditions showed tentative improvements in sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and working memory relative to the controls, however these changes were not maintained at a two-month follow-up. Open-ended responses indicated mixed or negative experiences for 50% of participants, including boredom, functional reliance on smartphones, and fear of missing out, although 83% endorsed the need for government action. Digital detoxes appear feasible for generating causal evidence however, complete abstinence can pose challenges. Fully powered trials should ascertain whether more targeted interventions (e.g., limiting bed-time use) are as effective.