Keep Social Study for Young Adults

"Participants view a brief psychoeducational video about the value of connecting in-person with others and receive guided instructions for creating if-then behavioral plans for increasing moments of high-quality social connection. Over the next four weeks, they view messages on a simulated social media platform to encourage in-person, connections with strangers and acquaintances on a platform called Invibe. The Invibe feed will also have approximately 15 background posts each day from users' about their lives, including food, fitness, pets, and travel, common on social media platforms.~During the 4-week Invibe phase, after participants complete each Day Report, they will view the Invibe simulated social media feed. Participant exposure to each target message will be both passive, via that day's feed, and forced, via inclusion on the Day Report. Participants will see 12 social media messages during this 4-week phase, shown in random order within the first 3 daily posts."

To rule out placebo and nonspecific effects, the Keep Social RCT engenders positive expectations in all participants by promoting the use of Invibe as a beta social media platform to build and maintain social ties, a framing that mirrors information-as-usual for wellness through social media connections. Those in the Placebo Control condition receive no further health communication (view no psychoeducational video) and encounter all background content on Invibe (all target messages excluded) with control posts that feature unrelated content.