The Google Health Digital Well-Being Study: Protocol for a Digital Device Use and Well-Being Study

Background: The impact of digital device use on health and well-being is a pressing question. However, the scientific literature on this topic, to date, is marred by small and unrepresentative samples, poor measurement of core constructs, and a limited ability to address the psychological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the relationships between device use and well-being. Recent authoritative reviews have made urgent calls for future research projects to address these limitations. The critical role of research is to identify which patterns of use are associated with benefits versus risks and who is more vulnerable to harmful versus beneficial outcomes, so that we can pursue evidence-based product design, education, and regulation aimed at maximizing benefits and minimizing the risks of smartphones and other digital devices.

Objective: The objective of this study is to provide normative data on objective patterns of smartphone use. We aim to (1) identify how patterns of smartphone use impact well-being and identify groups of individuals who show similar patterns of covariation between smartphone use and well-being measures across time; (2) examine sociodemographic and personality or mental health predictors and which patterns of smartphone use and well-being are associated with pre-post changes in mental health and functioning; (3) discover which nondevice behavior patterns mediate the association between device use and well-being; (4) identify and explore recruitment strategies to increase and improve the representation of traditionally underrepresented populations; and (5) provide a real-world baseline of observed stress, mood, insomnia, physical activity, and sleep across a representative population.

Methods: This is a prospective, nonrandomized study to investigate the patterns and relationships among digital device use, sensor-based measures (including both behavioral and physiological signals), and self-reported measures of mental health and well-being. The study duration is 4 weeks per participant and includes passive sensing based on smartphone sensors, and optionally a wearable (Fitbit), for the complete study period. The smartphone device will provide activity, location, phone unlocks and app usage, and battery status information.

Results: At the time of submission, the study infrastructure and app have been designed and built, the institutional review board of the University of Oregon has approved the study protocol, and data collection is underway. Data from 4182 enrolled and consented participants have been collected as of March 27, 2023. We have made many efforts to sample a study population that matches the general population, and the demographic breakdown we have been able to achieve, to date, is not a perfect match.

Conclusions: The impact of digital devices on mental health and well-being raises important questions. The Digital Well-Being Study is designed to help answer questions about the association between patterns of smartphone use and well-being.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/49189.