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![Happiness in the Digital Age HOW DO WE FEEL ONLINE? 90% of online users say the Internet has been a good thing for them personally. (Only 6% say it has been a bad thing and 3% say it's been some of both.) Who’s Online, Anyway? According to a 2014 Pew Research Center survey: 87% of American adults are online 58% own a smartphone Technology and social media often get a bad rap, but they're being used for good causes, too: 70% of internet users say they've been treated kindly or generously by others online. (Compare that with 25% who say they have been treated unkindly or been attacked). 56% of internet users say they have seen an online group come together to help a person or a community feel better or solve a problem. Remember These? - When nobody showed up to a 6-year-old autistic boy’s birthday, his mom posted an emotional message on her Facebook—and strangers responded with gifts and messages. - A high school junior from Iowa City started a Twitter feed to dispense heartfelt compliments about students and teachers at his school. - When a Georgia police officer was in dire need of a kidney transplant, his daughters posted a photo of them holding a sign that read, “Our daddy needs a kidney!”—a plea that turned up a perfect match. - After a 68-year-old bus monitor was bullied by middle school boys on video, outraged strangers responded by donating hundreds of thousands of dollars in an Indiegogo fund DOES BEING CONNECTED MAKE US MORE—OR LESS—PRODUCTIVE? Just 7% of people say their productivity has dropped because of the internet, email and cell phones. …while 46% of people feel the internet makes them more productive On the other hand…64% of employees reported visiting non-work related websites on the job! Hello, Telepressure: 52% of Americans check their e-mail before and after work, even when they take a sick day (although just 21% of workplaces have policies about communication use outside working hours!) However … studies show this constant connection actually hurts our productivity and boosts stress. It also affects your health, prompting you to: - Lose sleep - Burn out - Take more sick days Smartphone Addicts? One recent study even showed that iPhone anxiety is real: Researchers found that the heart rates, blood pressure and stress levels of participants spiked when their smartphones were out of reach. How to Live a More Balanced Digital Life - Limit checking e-mail to just a few times a day (deactivate the pop-up setting so you aren’t alerted every time an e-mail arrives!) - Have a conversation with your manager about e-mail expectations so you stop feeling unnecessary pressure to be online 24/7. - Put away all electronics at least 30 minutes before bed so you’re not tempted to stay up scrolling through Instagram - Take a tech break once a month where you spend just one day without checking your e-mail or social media feeds [ IS TECHNOLOGY HELPING OR HARMING OUR RELATIONSHIPS? Think the Internet makes us more disconnected? Think again: 67% of Internet users say their online communication with family and friends has generally strengthened those relationships ….while just 18% say it generally weakens those relationships But 38% of internet users are less likely to rely exclusively on their spouses or partners as discussion confidants Technology actually makes us more neighborly, too: Internet and mobile phone users are just as likely as non-users to talk to their neighbors in-person at least once per month. In fact, 39% say their Internet and cell phone use makes them better informed about their neighbors and neighborhood than if they weren’t connected online. However, 30% are less likely to know at least some neighbors. The antidote? Make time for in-person exchanges: 1. Suggest a date-night with your partner by sneaking a little note into his or her work bag. 2. Pop over to your friend across the street to touch base about this week’s soccer practice carpool. 3. Walk into your co-worker’s office to talk about a new project rather than sending an e-mail. Surveys show that… 41% of couples feel closer after using text and online messages 74% of adults online say the Internet has had a positive impact on their marriage To feel the online love: - Shoot a text message to wish a friend good luck before a job interview - Send a little love note via e-mail - Instagram a pic of a recent happy moment with your partner - Search for an old boss on LinkedIn and send a complimentary note Did You Know? 67% of Internet users in a marriage or committed relationship have shared the password to one or more of their online accounts with their partner and 27% even share an e-mail account GO AHEAD, GET SOCIAL 74% of online adults use social networking sites. You've Heard About the Dark Side of Social Media: Some research suggests that social media sites can: - Trigger envy - Lower self-esteem - Decrease overall life satisfaction - Make us feel lonely and glum Interestingly, research shows the negative effects of Facebook are most pronounced in social butterflies: People who do the most direct, face-to-face socializing and use social media are the ones who report the most Facebook-related mood decline. But There's a Bright Side: A 2014 Pew survey shows social media users are … • Half as likely to be socially isolated as the average American • More trusting than others • More likely to get support from their social ties • More politically engaged than most people According to a recent study that analyzed data from 100 million Facebook users between 2009 and 2012, positive emotions have a stronger spreading power than negative ones. Another study found that students felt more loved and worthy after visiting their Facebook profiles than after doing traditional self-affirmation exercises. In fact, researchers found that Facebook users gravitate toward their online profiles after receiving a blow to the ego, in an unconscious effort to repair their perceptions of self-worth. To boost your profile’s happy-making powers: - Upload a new profile pic that makes you feel fab - Go out of your way to send friends a positive note or special b-day message - Relive happy moments by clicking through all of your pictures - Like or follow organizations you admire SOURCES [don’t need underlines] American Psychological Association, Americans Stay Connected to Work on Weekends, Vacation and Even When Out Sick Barber, L.K.; Santuzzi, A.M. (2015) Workplace Telepressure and Employee Recovery. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Clayton R.B., Leshner G., Almond A. (2015). The Extended iSelf: The Impact of iPhone Separation on Cognition, Emotion, and Physiology. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication Gonzales, A., Hancock, J. (2011) Mirror, mirror on my Facebook wall: effects of exposure to Facebook on self-esteem. Cyberpsychology Behavior & Social Networking. Kross E., Verduyn P., Demiralp E. et al. (2013). Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults. Plos One. Kujath, C. (2011). Facebook and MySpace: complement or substitute for face-to- face interaction? Cyberpsychology Behavior & Social Networking. Kushlev K., Dunn E.W. (2015). Checking Email Less Frequently Reduces Stress. Computers in Human Behavior Pew Research Center, Americans Feel Better Informed Thanks to the Internet (2014) Pew Research Center, Couples, the Internet, and Social Media (2014) Pew Research Center, Social Isolation and New Technology (2009) Pew Research Center, Social Networking Fact Sheet (2014) Pew Research Center, The Web at 25 in the U.S. (2014) Toma C., Hancock J. (2013) Self-Affirmation Underlies Facebook Use. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin](https://hpf-happify-marty-prod-user-uploads.happify.com/cms_uploads/en_US/img/happifiers/happify-digital.png)