Information Sheet
Title of the Project: AGE OF FIRST SMARTPHONE OWNERSHIP WITH SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESS AND ITS IMPACT ON ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES
Principal Investigator: Derrick Swandol, LCSW-C, Doctoral Candidate Psychology Department, Liberty University
Key Information about the Research Study
You are invited to participate in a research study. To participate, you must be 18 or older and owned a smartphone with access to social media as a child or adolescent.
Things you should know:
· The purpose of the study is to determine any correlation between smartphone ownership and health outcomes (self-esteem & depression) and explore ACE as a moderator. If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete an online, anonymous survey. This will take approximately 10-minutes.
· Participants are not expected to receive direct benefits from their participation.
· Taking part in this research project is voluntary. You do not have to participate, and you can stop at any time.
Please read this entire form and ask questions before deciding whether to participate in this research.
What is the study about and why is it being done?
The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between the age of first smartphone ownership with social media access and its impact on self-esteem and depression symptoms in adolescence.
What will happen if you take part in this study?
If you agree to be in this study, I will ask you to do the following:
1. Complete an online, anonymous survey, which will take approximately 10 minutes.
How could you or others benefit from this study?
Participants should not expect a direct benefit from participating in this study.
Benefits to society include establishing an objective age recommendation for when youth should own a smartphone with social media access, additional data examining the relationship between smartphones, social media, and health outcomes, as well as contributing to community awareness of the global phenomenon created by smartphones and social media.
What risks might you experience from being in this study?
Minimal risk, but the possibility of psychological stress exists. The expected risks from participating in this study are minimal, which means they are equal to the risks you would encounter in everyday life. The risks involved in this study are the possibility of psychological stress from being asked to recall childhood trauma (i.e. ACE assessment). To reduce risk, I will ensure contact information for crisis services is provided at the end of the survey.
How will personal information be protected?
The records of this study will be kept private. Research records will be stored securely, and the researcher and members of the doctoral committee will have access to the records.
· Participant responses will be anonymous.
· Data will be stored on a password-locked computer, which is kept in a locked office, operating on a secure network. The researcher and members of his doctoral committee will have access to the data. After three years, all electronic records will be deleted.
Is study participation voluntary?
Participation in this study is voluntary. Your decision whether to participate will not affect your current or future relations with Liberty University. If you decide to participate, you are free not to answer any question or withdraw at any time, before submitting the survey, without affecting those relationships.
Continued...
Principal Investigator: Derrick Swandol, LCSW-C, Doctoral Candidate Psychology Department, Liberty University
Key Information about the Research Study
You are invited to participate in a research study. To participate, you must be 18 or older and owned a smartphone with access to social media as a child or adolescent.
Things you should know:
· The purpose of the study is to determine any correlation between smartphone ownership and health outcomes (self-esteem & depression) and explore ACE as a moderator. If you choose to participate, you will be asked to complete an online, anonymous survey. This will take approximately 10-minutes.
· Participants are not expected to receive direct benefits from their participation.
· Taking part in this research project is voluntary. You do not have to participate, and you can stop at any time.
Please read this entire form and ask questions before deciding whether to participate in this research.
What is the study about and why is it being done?
The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between the age of first smartphone ownership with social media access and its impact on self-esteem and depression symptoms in adolescence.
What will happen if you take part in this study?
If you agree to be in this study, I will ask you to do the following:
1. Complete an online, anonymous survey, which will take approximately 10 minutes.
How could you or others benefit from this study?
Participants should not expect a direct benefit from participating in this study.
Benefits to society include establishing an objective age recommendation for when youth should own a smartphone with social media access, additional data examining the relationship between smartphones, social media, and health outcomes, as well as contributing to community awareness of the global phenomenon created by smartphones and social media.
What risks might you experience from being in this study?
Minimal risk, but the possibility of psychological stress exists. The expected risks from participating in this study are minimal, which means they are equal to the risks you would encounter in everyday life. The risks involved in this study are the possibility of psychological stress from being asked to recall childhood trauma (i.e. ACE assessment). To reduce risk, I will ensure contact information for crisis services is provided at the end of the survey.
How will personal information be protected?
The records of this study will be kept private. Research records will be stored securely, and the researcher and members of the doctoral committee will have access to the records.
· Participant responses will be anonymous.
· Data will be stored on a password-locked computer, which is kept in a locked office, operating on a secure network. The researcher and members of his doctoral committee will have access to the data. After three years, all electronic records will be deleted.
Is study participation voluntary?
Participation in this study is voluntary. Your decision whether to participate will not affect your current or future relations with Liberty University. If you decide to participate, you are free not to answer any question or withdraw at any time, before submitting the survey, without affecting those relationships.
Continued...