We are trying to understand when, where, and how much teenagers are exposed to alcohol content in the media. We ultimately hope to develop programs that help teens become more resistant to messages promoting the consumption of alcohol.

High schoolers (9th-12th grades) from the United States. Although the study examines alcohol content in the media, participants do not need to be drinkers or even to have ever had a sip of alcohol. They just need to use social media and/or watch entertainment media like TV and movies.

Your child would complete a set of surveys during three time periods (“bursts”) each lasting for 21 days. Participation during each burst includes: (1) completing an online survey; (2) completing three brief weekly surveys; and (3) completing daily survey reports several times a day using a smartphone app. Some participants will be invited to a voluntary group-based discussion at the end of the study to talk about their study experiences and opinions on alcohol content in the media.

Your child would be in the study for 8.5 months. Each study burst starts 4 months after the previous one, so there are break periods in between. The 3 online surveys (baseline plus two follow-ups) will each take approximately 45 minutes to complete. The first survey will be completed after orientation, and the two additional surveys will be given 4 and 8 months later. Daily reports will take a few minutes each; the daily reports will occur several times a day. Participants will also take a brief weekly survey (3 times per burst) which will take about 5-10 minutes.

Your child’s involvement will begin with an orientation session via Zoom where we will explain everything to your child and give them the opportunity to ask lots of questions. We will also give your child an instruction guide to keep and the information will be available for participants on the project website. Study staff will also be available to help participants with important reminders and will stay in contact with your child as they go through the study stages.

We are going to ask participants questions about their use of media, both social and entertainment. We will ask about school, life stress, personality, sleep, what they do in their free time, and relationships with friends and parents. We will ask your child about experiences with alcohol and other drugs (if any). They will be told that they do not have to answer any questions they don’t want to.

Questions will be asked via web-based surveys that can be done on a computer, tablet, or phone as well as via surveys filled out on a smartphone app. Your child will need to download this study app to their phone before the daily survey reports start.

No. We will only ask participants to record details about alcohol images or references when they come across it as they go about their normal day. We are not asking your child to look for pictures or references to alcohol. In fact, this study is not intended to change their behaviors at all; we are not asking them to do anything more than recording what they are already seeing while using media.

No. We are not interested in your child’s phone data or their accounts. We just want to know what they come across when they are using media.

Yes. It is very important to us that your child’s information be confidential. We will never share their information with parents/guardians or other family members, friends or classmates, or school, or any other adults (such as employer, coaches, etc.). It is important for the study that your child know that their responses are confidential; therefore, we ask that you allow your child to complete the survey in private. This means that we won’t provide you or others with information that your child has given us. The only exceptions are if your child reports that they intend to harm themselves or anybody else or reports any alcohol use that reaches a potentially dangerous dose, in which case we will inform you.

The main risk is loss of privacy if other people see your child’s information. We will tell your child to be sure to use a password to protect their phone and other devices and exit out of the survey when done. Encryption, firewalls, and other security measures will protect the data and prevent unauthorized access. Your child will not be named in any reports that result from this study. All information will remain confidential and we will use an identification number rather than your child’s name. All Zoom sessions are confidential. Only persons with a unique invitation can participate.

We have obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health which lets the researchers legally refuse to disclose information that may identify your child in any federal, state, or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings. The consent/assent documents provide additional information about how this Certificate of Confidentiality works.

Participants will be instructed to delete any screenshots, photos, or videos that have identifying information (e.g., images of friends on social media) immediately after uploading the content to the app. We will also explain to them how to crop or cross out someone’s username or facial image before they upload it to the study app.

Your child can change their mind and stop at any time. If they leave the study, no current or future relationship with Brown University will be affected.

Yes. Your child will be paid for each portion of the study they complete. They will also have the opportunity to receive bonuses. Participants can earn up to $555 for completing the study. If selected for a separate group discussion, your child could earn an additional $40 for participating. Compensation will be paid out in Amazon electronic gift cards (sent via email). Compensation is not linked to how much time they spend using apps or media, or how much alcohol content they see. Compensation is only linked to doing the surveys and just telling us about what they see. Click here to see a breakdown of the payment.

If you have any questions about your child’s participation in this study, you can call Cassandra Delapaix at 401-863-6682 or email cassandra_tardif@brown.edu or Kristina Jackson at 401-863- 6617 or email Kristina_Jackson@brown.edu. If you have questions about your child’s rights as a participant you can contact Brown University’s Human Research Protection Program at 401- 863-3050 or email them at IRB@Brown.edu.