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What might explain the unhappiness epidemic?

Feb 5, 2018 | , ,

Every activity that didn’t involve a screen was linked to more happiness, and every activity that involved a screen was linked to less happiness. The differences were considerable: Teens who spent more than five hours a day online were twice as likely to be unhappy as those who spent less than an hour a day

If you wanted to give advice based on this research, it would be very simple: Put down your phone or tablet and go do something – just about anything – else.

Source: What might explain the unhappiness epidemic?

Stop blaming Apple and take responsibility for tech addiction

Feb 4, 2018 | , , , , ,

There are many accusations against Apple, Facebook, Google, Amazon and others for their addictive effects on our brains and culture. Most of the discourse is about how evil tech companies are (covertly) peddling addictive products/services that are destroying our minds, our society and our relationships. I’ve been frequently quoted in this dialogue as an example of someone who used to focus on increasing addiction (through gamification) to a “changed man” who now believes things have gone too far — with a startup to prove it.

Source: Stop blaming Apple and take responsibility for tech addiction | TechCrunch

How Facebook stole the news business

Feb 3, 2018 |

Big news outlets stupidly sold their soul to Facebook. Desperate for the referral traffic Facebook dangled, they spent the past few years jumping through its hoops only to be cut out of the equation. Instead of developing an owned audience of homepage visitors and newsletter subscribers, they let Facebook brainwash readers into thinking it was their source of information.

Source: How Facebook stole the news business | TechCrunch

Facebook Usage Declines While Profits Soar 

Feb 1, 2018 |

Less is more. The social network’s quarterly earnings report revealed that users spent 50 million fewer hours per day on the site in the last quarter of 2017 — its first ever drop. But the company’s profits still rose 47 percent compared to the same period in 2016, and founder Mark Zuckerberg said the slipping usage ultimately won’t matter after the company revamps its news feed to focus on “meaningful connections.” The mixed news sent Facebook’s stock on a roller coaster ride, tumbling 5 percent before recovering for a 1.4 percent gain.

Source: Facebook Usage Declines While Profits Soar – February 01, 2018 | OZY

Consumer Time Spent on Publisher Sites Fell in 2017 

Jan 29, 2018 | ,

Fake news, a grudging dependence on social media platforms, the pivot to video—all of these add up to create an obstacle-laden environment for publishers trying to figure out a viable business model. Now, new data from native content discovery platform Taboola raises yet another difficult factor: a decline in the duration of US internet users’ sessions on publisher sites.

Source: Consumer Time Spent on Publisher Sites Fell in 2017 – eMarketer