DigiWell: Digital Devices and Children's Wellbeing

Last registered on May 11, 2026

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

DigiWell: Digital Devices and Children's Wellbeing

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0016020

Initial registration date

May 05, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

May 11, 2026, 8:19 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name

Marinella Leone

Affiliation

University of Pavia

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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Selene Ghisolfi

PI Affiliation

Catholics University of the Sacred Heart

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PI Name

Michela Carlana

PI Affiliation

Harvard Kennedy School

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Additional Trial Information

Status

On going

Start date

2025-01-19

End date

2028-12-31

Keywords

Education

Additional Keywords

JEL code(s)

General Welfare, Well-Being, Education, Children

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

This project investigates the impact of early smartphone and digital device usage on children’s cognitive, mental health, and social development. It explores the role of parental behavior and coordination in shaping children’s digital habits and examines how social norms around technology use may influence child outcomes. Leveraging a school-based randomized controlled trial across public primary schools in Northern Italy, the study will generate rigorous evidence on the broader implications of early digital exposure. Findings will inform education and child welfare policy and contribute to the literature on technology use, social norms, and child development.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Carlana, Michela, Selene Ghisolfi and Marinella Leone. 2026. "DigiWell: Digital Devices and Children's Wellbeing ." AEA RCT Registry. May 11. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16020-1.0

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

The intervention targeted parents of Grade 5 pupils. Parents in treated schools were invited to attend two online sessions and led by experts from an NGO dedicated to promoting the positive use of digital technologies among minors. The training addressed both the potential benefits of digital device use and the risks associated with excessive screen time, particularly in relation to children’s and adolescents’ brain development and emerging self-regulation skills. The sessions were designed to be interactive, encouraging parents to share their experiences, as well as the challenges and needs they encounter in managing their children’s use of digital devices. Parents in treated schools were also invited to participate in additional meetings with the research team. During these sessions, correlations identified in the baseline data between screen time and wellbeing outcomes were presented and discussed with both parents and teachers.
As part of the intervention, parents were also offered the opportunity to sign a school-level digital pact - an informal agreement among families establishing shared rules for the use of digital devices.

Intervention Start Date

2025-03-16

Intervention End Date

2026-03-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Weekly digital device usage, wellbeing, classroom environment, social isolation, academic performance, attention (selective and sustained), memory.

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

We implement a cluster-randomized controlled trial across public primary schools in Italy to evaluate the effects of early smartphone and digital device usage on children’s cognitive, mental health, and social development. Randomization occurs at the school level, with schools assigned to a treatment or a control arm. The study includes comprehensive baseline and follow-up data collection from students and parents. Outcomes of interest include standardized test scores, cognitive performance, emotional wellbeing, social behavior, screen time and reported digital usage patterns. The trial design allows us to assess the causal impact of digital exposure and family dynamics on child development outcomes.

Experimental Design Details

Not available

Randomization Method

Randomization done in office by a computer, Stata

Randomization Unit

Istituti Comprensivi (IC). Istituto Comprensivo is a school cluster within which several grades of education coexist, such as preschool, primary and middle school, all generally close to each other in territory (could span multiple municipalities). The IC could include multiple schools for the same level (e.g. primary schools), but they all fall under one presidency, one school board, and one unitary board of teachers.

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes