The largest study in the world examining the impact of adolescent mobile phone usage enters a new phase, with Sixth Form students at local schools leading the data collection and proposing their own research questions.
The Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP) is the largest study of its kind investigating the impact of mobile phones and social media on young people’s brain function, cognitive development, and physical and mental health. Commencing in 2014 with 7,000 students from 39 schools across greater London; SCAMP is uniquely placed to understand the influence the digital environment may have on adolescent development and wellbeing.
With nearly a decades-worth of research, contributions from over 30 researchers across six universities, and multiple sub-studies underway, SCAMP has entered its ‘fourth wave’, with a new cohort of students joining. Building on the success of the study and the strong relationships formed with schools and students across London, as well as the importance placed on community involvement at the Mohn Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing, the latest study has been designed with student involvement in mind. The SCAMP team have gone one step further and have given Sixth Form students the opportunity to learn new skills in research, project management and data collection whilst working alongside academics at Imperial.
Research Challenge students from Beal High School helping collect biosamples (Photograph taken by Beal High School, November 2022)
The newly developed ‘SCAMP Research Challenge’, taking place throughout the 2022-2023 academic year, is designed to be led and managed by the sixth form students themselves, contributing to the research and success of SCAMP in a whole new way. The SCAMP research group is currently working with 80 Research Challenge students across 12 schools in the London area. These students are providing fresh insights into how adolescents perceive their mobile phone usage and its possible impact, by collecting cognitive data and biosamples from their peers. The results can then be used to examine brain function, cognitive abilities and mental health in this age group. As well as contributing to the ongoing success of SCAMP’s data collection, students have been encouraged to design and pitch their own research questions, which may later be investigated by SCAMP researchers.
The data collection phase is expected to conclude in February 2023, with the addition of data from six more schools and hundreds more participants. To say thank you to the Research Challenge students, teachers and all those involved in this latest research phase, a SCAMP awards ceremony will be hosted at our South Kensington Campus, Monday 20th March 2023. During the ceremony we will be awarding students with participation certificates, and prizes will be given to those who went above and beyond. The SCAMP research team will also announce which research questions designed by the students have been chosen for future research.
To find out more or get involved in SCAMP, please visit https://scampstudy.org/. Alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.