Use of passive sensing to quantify adolescent mobile device usage: Feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary validation of the eMoodie application

Abstract

Utilizing the built‐in features of smartphones, a novel app “eMoodie” (http://www.emoodie.com) was developed which passively collects information on app and smartphone/tablet usage including duration and time of use. Youth in the US and UK participated in piloting and validating eMoodie. In the first study, we evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of eMoodie in a sample of 23 parent–child dyads (N = 46), with children ages 10–12 years. Children downloaded eMoodie onto their device, which collected information on their screen time and app usage for seven consecutive days. Children responded to notifications via eMoodie to complete ecological momentary assessments (EMA) on wellbeing and digital media use. In the second study, caregiver‐child dyads participated (N = 526) in a study conducted in Edinburgh, Scotland. Early adolescents (ages 11 to 14) participated in a remote study using eMoodie involving an EMA component, questionnaires, and passive sensing data collection over a 7‐day EMA study. To examine the preliminary validity of using eMoodie, we evaluated whether app‐enabled research may alter the behavior being studied. As youth are increasingly using mobile devices, capturing objective use and evaluating the correlates of such use on development grows ever more important. Remote data capture will be essential to continuing developmental research that cannot be facilitated in face‐to‐face settings due to the ongoing pandemic. As the first empirical investigation into the utility of an app that objectively measures adolescents' smartphone use, we summarize lessons learned in implementing this novel methodology and future directions for the measurement of mobile media.

Passive Sensing of Preteens’ Smartphone Use: An Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Cohort Substudy

“…Some studies have theorized that knowledge of tracking of activity on a mobile device alone likely influences the behavior of research participants [24]. Consistent with this, studies using accelerometer data for physical activity [25] and smartphone use in youth [22] show differences in participant engagement during monitoring, although the real-world significance of these changes may be minimal [22]. Furthermore, a recent meta-analysis suggested that these methods can still more accurately inform correlates of screen use, purportedly doing so more accurately than participant report alone [13], making them a valuable contribution to scientific methodology.…”

“…To date, data from objective assessment methods have been primarily limited to adults and older adolescents [ 16 , 17 ], parents of children [ 18 ], and young children [ 19 ], despite many children owning smartphones beginning in midchildhood [ 20 , 21 ]. Notably, a recent study in older children (aged 10-14 years) found passive monitoring combined with ecological momentary assessment (EMA) notifications to be feasible and acceptable [ 22 ]. However, the app used by Domoff et al [ 22 ] did not calculate exact app use, leaving a gap in the literature regarding which types of apps are most commonly used among children and adolescents.…”

“…Notably, a recent study in older children (aged 10-14 years) found passive monitoring combined with ecological momentary assessment (EMA) notifications to be feasible and acceptable [ 22 ]. However, the app used by Domoff et al [ 22 ] did not calculate exact app use, leaving a gap in the literature regarding which types of apps are most commonly used among children and adolescents.…”

“…Although research has demonstrated increasing screen use in children and adolescents in recent years [ 4 ], less is known about smartphone screen use specifics, such as when smartphones are used most, which apps or platforms are used, and for how long. Existing objective smartphone data are limited to largely adult and college-aged samples [ 16 ] and occasional preschool populations [ 27 ], with a recent addition of one study of older children and young adolescents [ 22 ]. However, a recent systematic review found that only 3 studies had investigated specific app use [ 16 ].…”

Which resources help young people to prevent and overcome mental distress in deprived urban areas in Latin America? A protocol for a prospective cohort study

“…30 ESM allows for a detailed assessment of the interaction between real-world context and phenomena that is unaffected by issues of recall. 30 Data will be collected using a mobile phone app called eMoodie, 31 which was developed specifically for young people. The ESM study will run alongside the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies sharing the same aims and with the additional aim to determine whether young people use similar personal and social resources for short-term recovery (within hours or days) as for long-term recovery (over 1 year).…”