Problematic Social Media Use Among Italian Midadolescents: Protocol and Rationale of the SMART Project

Social media (SM) use constitutes a large portion of midadolescents' daily lives as a way of peer interaction. A significant percentage of adolescents experience intense or problematic social media use (PSMU), an etiologically complex behavior potentially associated with psychological distress. To date, studies longitudinally testing for risk or protective factors of PSMU, and collecting qualitative data are still scarce among midadolescents. Self-help interventions specifically targeting PSMU in this population and involving midadolescents in co-creation are needed.