Dear Participant,

Greetings!

Welcome to the data collection phase of my dissertation. My name is Ananya Singhal, a first-year student of Christ University, Delhi NCR, pursuing MSc. Clinical Psychology. This research is conducted under the supervision of my esteemed guide, Dr. Rakesh. K. R, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, CHRIST (Deemed-to-be University), Delhi NCR. This is an invitation for you to participate in the research that is going to be conducted as a part of my course plan for completion of the degree.

Criteria for participation:
- should be between the ages if 18-25
- should know English
- should not have any concurrent psychiatric illness
- should be of Indian Nationality

Taking part in this study is entirely voluntary. If you decide to participate you must read carefully and sign this form to offer your consent.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this research is to assess if social media usage predicts feelings of loneliness, rumination, and sleep quality among emerging adults (18-25 years) and to check if there is relationship between these 4 variables in the target population or not.

PROCEDURE

In this research you will be required to answer to questions mentioned in the four standardized tools which is a self-report measure.The four standardized tools or scales are related your social media usage, feelings of loneliness, rumination, and sleep quality. Once you have filled the questionnaire, kindly submit it. With your permission, the information is to be formally shared with the supervisor, and later used for analysis. When this research is complete, you will be provided the results if you request.

TIME DURATION

10-15 minutes approximately.

DISCOMFORT & RISK MANAGEMENT

Although the present study is physically safe, the only possible discomfort you might face is the sensitive nature of the questions asked. In such case, you are free to withdraw from the study or email me your concern.

STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY

1. Your research records that are reviewed, stored, and analyzed at CHRIST (Deemed-to-be University) will be kept in a secured area in password-protected drives.
2. The data gathered through this research will solely be used for research and academic purposes and not personal use.
3. With your permission, the data will be reviewed by the researcher and the supervisor.
4. In the event of any publication or presentation resulting from the research, no personally identifiable information will be revealed.
5. We will keep your participation this research study confidential and anonymous to the extent permitted by law.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION

Taking part in this study is voluntary. If you choose to take part, you have the right to withdraw any time. If you decide not to participate or if you decide to stop taking part in the research at a later date, there will be no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS

You have the right to ask any questions you may have about this research. If you have questions, complaints or concerns related to the research, contact Ms. Ananya Singhal at ananya.singhal@psy.christuniversity.in

Thank you for your time and cooperation!