|
Field
Abstract
|
Before
How social ties are formed, maintained, and mobilized has changed with the adoption of digital communication technologies like WhatsApp. This paper estimates the value individuals place on the communication infrastructure that sustains their social networks and examines the short-run causal effects of losing access to it on social capital and well-being. We conduct a field experiment in three remote island communities in Indonesia, recruiting approximately 1,200 household heads as participants. To elicit individuals’ willingness to accept compensation for a one-week restriction on WhatsApp usage, we implement the double-bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) method.
Participants are then randomly assigned to a treatment group, in which WhatsApp access is blocked for one week, or to a control group with no restriction. We compare outcomes across groups along three domains: social capital, subjective well-being, and time use. We further explore the mechanisms underlying these effects by examining changes in time use and daily behavioral patterns during the restriction period.
|
After
How social ties are formed, maintained, and mobilized has changed with the adoption of digital communication technologies like WhatsApp. This paper estimates the value of communication infrastructure that sustains social networks and examines the short-run causal effects of losing partial access to it on social capital and subjective well-being. We conduct a field experiment in three remote island communities in Indonesia, recruiting approximately 1,200 household heads as participants. To elicit individuals’ willingness to accept a partial daily restriction on WhatsApp usage, we implement the double-bounded dichotomous choice (DBDC) method. Participants are then randomly assigned to a treatment group, in which WhatsApp access is restricted for 4 hours per day over 6 days, or to a control group with no restriction. We compare outcomes across groups along three domains: social capital, subjective well-being, and time use. We further explore the mechanisms underlying these effects by examining changes in time use and daily behavioral patterns during the restriction period.
|
|
Field
Trial Start Date
|
Before
April 27, 2026
|
After
May 01, 2026
|
|
Field
Last Published
|
Before
April 14, 2026 09:40 AM
|
After
May 02, 2026 09:49 AM
|
|
Field
Intervention (Public)
|
Before
Participants are randomly assigned with equal (1:1) probability to a treatment or control group. Treated participants have their WhatsApp access blocked for 7 consecutive days using a third-party app installed on their smartphones by enumerators. Access is blocked starting the night following the baseline survey. Treated participants are compensated upon completion of the endline survey, with the compensation amount equal to the highest offer they accepted during the baseline willingness-to-accept elicitation. Control participants face no restriction on their WhatsApp usage throughout the study period.
|
After
Participants are randomly assigned with equal (1:1) probability to a treatment or control group. Treated participants have their WhatsApp restricted for 4 hours per day over 6 consecutive days using a third-party app installed on their smartphones by enumerators. Access is blocked starting the next day of the baseline survey. Participants are compensated upon completion of the endline survey. Participants in the treated group are compensated with an amount equal to the last offer they accepted during the baseline willingness-to-accept elicitation. Control participants face no restriction on their WhatsApp usage throughout the study period.
|
|
Field
Intervention Start Date
|
Before
April 28, 2026
|
After
May 03, 2026
|
|
Field
Experimental Design (Public)
|
Before
This study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial conducted across three remote island communities in Indonesia: Karimunjawa (Central Java), Sumba (East Nusa Tenggara), and Banda (Maluku). Approximately 1,200 household heads are recruited as participants. Prior to randomization, each participant completes a Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice (DBDC) willingness-to-accept (WTA) elicitation for a one-week WhatsApp restriction.
Eligible participants (those who use WhatsApp actively and accept at least one bid) are randomized with equal probability to a treatment group (WhatsApp blocked for one week) or a control group (no restriction). Both groups are surveyed at baseline and endline one week later. The primary analysis uses intent-to-treat (ITT) estimation via OLS with baseline outcome controls and fixed effects, following the ANCOVA specification. Fieldwork is conducted sequentially: Karimunjawa (22 April–30 May 2026), Sumba (13 May–20 June 2026), and Banda (10 August–18 September 2026).
|
After
This study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial conducted across three remote island communities in Indonesia: Karimunjawa (Central Java), Sumba (East Nusa Tenggara), and Banda (Maluku). Approximately 1,200 household heads are recruited as participants. Prior to randomization, each participant completes a Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice (DBDC) willingness-to-accept (WTA) elicitation for a one-week WhatsApp restriction.
Eligible participants (those who use WhatsApp actively and accept at least one bid) are randomized with equal probability to a treatment group (partial daily WhatsApp restriction for 6 days) or a control group (no restriction). Both groups are surveyed at baseline and endline one week later. The primary analysis uses intent-to-treat (ITT) estimation via OLS with baseline outcome controls and fixed effects, following the ANCOVA specification. Fieldwork is conducted sequentially: Karimunjawa (1 May - 13 June 2026), Sumba (20 May–29 June 2026), and Banda (18 August–29 September 2026).
|
|
Field
Randomization Method
|
Before
Randomization is performed by computer within the Survey Solutions CAPI application at the time of the baseline interview, immediately after eligibility is confirmed. A fixed random seed is used. Equal assignment probabilities (1:1) are applied across all eligible participants within each study site.
|
After
Randomization is performed by computer within the Survey Solutions CAPI application at the time of the baseline interview, immediately after eligibility is confirmed. Equal assignment probabilities (1:1) are applied across all eligible participants within each study site.
|
|
Field
Intervention (Hidden)
|
Before
Prior to randomization, all participants complete a Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice (DBDC) willingness-to-accept (WTA) elicitation to determine their minimum acceptable compensation for a one-week WhatsApp restriction. Initial bids are randomly drawn from the set IDR 100,000; 125,000; 150,000; 175,000; and 200,000. Eligibility for the experiment requires active WhatsApp use in the past week and acceptance of at least one bid in the DBDC sequence. Eligible participants are randomized within the survey application immediately after eligibility is confirmed, using a fixed random seed. Treated participants are informed of their assignment, asked to reconfirm consent, and have the Freedom app installed on their smartphones to block WhatsApp for seven days. Compliance is verified at the endline visit by inspecting the app's restriction log. Treated participants who withdraw before endline receive pro-rated compensation. All participants are surveyed at baseline and at endline one week later, with endline surveys administered simultaneously to both groups.
|
After
Prior to randomization, all participants complete a Double-Bounded Dichotomous Choice (DBDC) willingness-to-accept (WTA) elicitation to determine their minimum acceptable compensation for a one-week WhatsApp restriction. Initial bids are randomly drawn from the set IDR 150,000, IDR 175,000, IDR 200,000, IDR 225,000, and IDR 250,000. Eligibility for the experiment requires active WhatsApp use in the past week and acceptance of at least one bid in the DBDC sequence. Eligible participants are randomized within the survey application immediately after eligibility is confirmed, using a fixed random seed. Treated participants are informed of their assignment, asked to reconfirm consent, and have the Freedom app installed on their smartphones to block WhatsApp for seven days. Compliance is verified at the endline visit by inspecting the app's restriction log. Treated participants who withdraw before endline receive pro-rated compensation. All participants are surveyed at baseline and at endline one week later, with endline surveys administered simultaneously to both groups.
|
|
Field
Pi as first author
|
Before
No
|
After
Yes
|