#So.Me Study Timeline

#So.Me happened in 5 key phases over three years:

Glossary

Before you dig into the project timeline, there are a few words and phrases we think it is helpful to define.

Measure: a questionnaire made up of several questions with response options like 0-5, where 0 means “I disagree” and 5 means “I agree”.

Items: the individual questions that make up a measure (or questionnaire).

Delphi study: a study that consults experts and aims to generate agreement amongst them, considering a particular issue.

Piloting measure: a pilot measure is simply a ‘‘first draft’. ‘Piloting the measure’ involves a small scale ‘testing’ of this draft to make sure it works as we expect it to.

Objective assessment: drawing conclusions based on observations and measurements from social media.

Psychometric analysis: psychometrics is the study of psychological measurement, considering the theory and practice of developing, administering, assessing, and interpreting psychological variables, such as personality traits, cognitive skills, and intelligence.

Validation: checking or proving the accuracy of something.

Phase One: Item Development

February 2023 - September 2024

Phase one involved multiple strands, as outlined below. The data we collected in this phase was used to inform a first draft of possible questionnaire items.

  • We held group discussions with young people in years 7 - 10 to find out how they engage with social media and what their experiences are.

    These group discussions have helped us to understand not only how and why young people use social media, but also what they think the key issues and benefits are. This learning has shaped the questions we asked in the Delphi study.

    Find out what young people told us here.

  • The Delphi study brought together adult experts on social media and mental health, and young people as ‘experts by experience.’

    We asked them to rate what they thought the most important social media experiences were in relation to mental health, allowing us to look at differences and similarities in opinion across adults and young people.

    Take a look at the study summary here to find out where young people and adults agree and disagree.

  • Using a new and secure smartphone app, we asked young people to share their daily experiences of social media use, thoughts, and emotions.

  • Based on the data we collected through these first studies, plus existing research about young people’s social media experiences, we drafted our first measure.

    This included eight ‘domains’ of experience, with 107 items across those domains.

    You can see a summary of the domains here.

Phase Two: Item selection

October 2024 - December 2024

In phase two we tested the items generated in phase one, to see which were most appropriate. This phase was also an opportunity to make sure the items were worded appropriately and were easy for young people to understand and respond to. Phase two resulted in a pilot measure ready for testing.

  • All items were tested for language and reading age. This will helped us to ensure they are appropriate for young people, and helped us to make some decisions about how to edit items.

  • We undertook interviews with 35 young people and gathered their views on the phrasing and content of items. participants also gave insights into how they interpreted what is being asked.

    Based on this feedback, we deleted 15 items, created 9 news ones, and edited 54 items. This meant we had 103 items in our draft measure to test in the pilot phase.

    Read the report here.

Phase Three: Piloting

January 2025 - July 2025

In phase three we piloted the measure. As well as asking young people to complete the self-report questionnaire, we collected subjective smart phone experience data to help us understand how some social media experiences happen ‘in the moment’.

The data collected through the stages outlined below were subjected to psychometric analysis to identify poor performing items, and establish evidence for the quality of the measure.

  • We tested the measure with over 8,000 young people in years 7-10 across 17 schools in England and Wales. We collected data during Children's Mental Health Week 2025.

    You can read a sample school report here.

  • We used a special app to collect data from 400 young people over a two-week period. The app collected data about young people’s social media use and their daily emotions.

Phase Four: Validation

July 2025 - January 2026

Some changes were made after phase three: we deleted poor-performing items and were left with just 39 items to re-test. We tested them with a new group of 2,200 young people across nine schools in England, to ensure they worked as we expect them to.

Phase Five: Manualisation

January 2026 - Summer 26

Phase five is about developing a technical manual to help others use the measure. we’ll be publishing the study data and app so other researchers can re-use it in their own work.

We’ll also be sharing the study’s key findings, through the project partners and at special events.

Once this phase is complete the #So.Me study will come to a close and the measure will be available for researchers to use with young people. An important next step will be to use the measure to collect data, so we can better understand how young people experience social media and how this relates their mental health and wellbeing.