SCAMP investigates the impact of mobile phones and social media on young people’s brain function, cognitive development, and physical and mental health. The study commenced in 2014 with about 7,000 year 7 students from 39 schools across Greater London.
Since then, we have been following up with these young people where possible every 2 years. We have been collecting information on a whole range of things including: mental and physical health, brain function, digital technology use (e.g. smartphone use, social media engagement and video gaming); demographics; Socioeconomic status (e.g. parental education, parental occupation, and area-level deprivation index derived from participant’s address); lifestyle and environmental factors (e.g. smoking, diet, substance use). Some people even gave us urine and saliva samples which we have used to look at hormone levels and completed some physical tests like grip and pinch, and lung function. We have also recently started a new sub-study using fitness trackers to further understand the relationship between sleep and physical activity.
Mental health
Cognitive function
Digital technology use
Physical health
Lifestyle and environment
Grip and pinch
Urine and saliva
Demographics
Socioeconomic Status
Fitness tracker
All of this information means that SCAMP is uniquely placed to understand the influence the digital environment may have on adolescent development and wellbeing.
With nearly a decades-worth of research, contributions from over 30 researchers across six universities, and multiple sub-studies underway, SCAMP has entered its ‘fourth wave’, with a new cohort of students joining through the latest ‘Research Challenge’ stage. Find out more about our research and sub studies below.
