Research
At the Happy Tech Lab, we study how technology shapes our happiness and mental health, from social media and smartphones to the newer questions raised by AI. We run experiments and follow people in daily life, asking not just whether these tools affect well-being, but how and for whom.
Below, you will find a sample of featured publications and learn more about the questions we are studying now, the research we have published, and the theories we use to explain it.
Current Research
See the studies we're currently running, from the first field trial on social media and adolescent mental health to new work on digital detox, smartphones, and AI.
Published Papers
Read our peer-reviewed research on digital well-being, digital detox the science of happiness, how income shapes well-being, and the hidden costs of AI.
Theory & Models
The frameworks we've built to explain how and why technology shapes well-being, including displacement, interference, and complementarity.
Featured Publications
Do digital detoxes work?
Yes: Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. | Download PDF
Maybe: Time-specific digital detox interventions: Effects and effectiveness among college students. | Download PDF
Does batching notifications reduce stress and improve well-being?
Yes, for smartphone notifications: Batching smartphone notifications can improve well-being | Download PDF
Yes, for email checkiing: Checking email less frequently reduces stress
Can AI-assisted writing look more creative even as the ideas behind it grow more alike?
Yes: The Link Between Diverse Words And Original Ideas Is Weakening In The AI-Era College Admissions (Preprint) | Download PDF
What if the real cost of our devices is not what we do on them, but what we give up to use them?
The COTeC Framework: An Opportunity Cost Framework of Digital Well-Being | Download PDF
The DIC Framework: The effects of smartphones on well-being: Theoretical integration and research agenda | Dowload PDF
Does happiness make people care less and take less action to solve social and environmental issues?
Nope, quite the opposite: Do happy people care about society’s problems? | Downlaod PDF
Can we and should we aim to promote happiness?
Yes and yes—because it is good for others and our physical health: Does happiness improve health? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial | Download PDF