benevolenthellsite

[benevolenthellsite]

New Survey Alert 🚨

This anonymous 1-minute survey gives you a chance to reflect (and tell Tumblr!) how you want social media to make you feel.

➡️ Take the Survey 

#benevolent hellsite #social media #digital wellness

[benevolenthellsite]

Hey Tumblr! Have ten minutes today?

The latest Tumblr current user survey is Live 💫

Please take this survey to help inform product decisions at Tumblr.

Note that this is an anonymous survey, unless you choose to input your email for further comment. Results will be shared with Tumblr staff. Follow @benevolenthellsite​ for a snapshot of the results!

#Survey #tumblr survey #benevolent hellsite

[benevolenthellsite]

Take stock of how social media makes you feel.

Take this anonymous survey to share what different platforms evoke in you.

This is an anonymous survey. Results will be shared with Tumblr staff. Follow @benevolenthellsite​ for a snapshot of the results!

#Social Media #Survey

[benevolenthellsite]

Creativity IRL, Creativity Online

We know creativity is good for us, and we know it makes us happy. 

What we don’t know: what motivates YOU personally (yes, you) to be creative.

Please use ➡️this survey⬅️ to reflect on and tell Tumblr why you create, and why you share (or don’t!).

This is an anonymous survey. Results will be shared with Tumblr staff. Follow @benevolenthellsite​ for a snapshot of the results!

#survey #benevolent hellsite #creativity #tw flashing #flashing gif

[benevolenthellsite]

Calling all artists, creatives, and aficionados! 📣

When asked "What do you think would make you happier on social media?" Tumblr users rank “creating original content” highest on the list, just below avoiding toxic content.

Got a few minutes? As a creative, artist, or fan, we want to hear from you! Please use this survey to reflect and share what makes a platform better for artists, creatives, or appreciators of either.

This is an anonymous survey. Results will be shared with Tumblr staff. Follow @benevolenthellsite for a snapshot of the results!

[benevolenthellsite]

How does social media affect you?

Take this anonymous survey to help a researcher working with Tumblr understand what makes some online experiences feel like time well-spent, and others not so much.

Note: Data from the survey will be shared with the Tumblr team. Ever wonder how social media habits make us feel? Follow @benevolenthellsite​ to see the results.

#digital wellness #benevolent hellsite

[benevolenthellsite]

How does social media affect you?

Take this anonymous survey to help a researcher working with Tumblr understand what makes some online experiences feel like time well-spent, and others not so much.

Note: Data from the survey will be shared with the Tumblr team. Ever wonder how social media habits make us feel? Follow @benevolenthellsite​ to see the results.

#digital wellness #benevolent hellsite

[benevolenthellsite]

How does social media make you feel?

Take this anonymous ✨digital well-being survey✨ and reflect on your time spent on social media. 

Follow @benevolenthellsite​ to see an overview of the results!

#social media #digital wellness

[benevolenthellsite]

What do you want out of your time on Tumblr today? 🤔

👉 Take THIS QUIZ to find out 👈

Asking ourselves this simple question can help us learn to be more intentional with our time on social media.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a personality quiz! This is about discovering where you are—right now—not what you are.

#mental health #quiz #social media #wellbeing

[benevolenthellsite]

Announcing Kokobot’s official partnership with Tumblr!

@kokobot is a nonprofit on a mission to bring everyone well-being services that are free, anonymous, and available 24/7.

Offering kind words of support from other Tumblr users just like you, thousands of people use Kokobot to find and share the bright side to life, with over 1 million thank you notes shared on Kokobot so far (try it yourself).

Today, we’re excited to announce our official partnership with Tumblr.

Starting today, you’ll start to see Kokobot appearing more widely on Tumblr services as we look to broaden our impact.

To get started, just message Kokobot and we’ll connect you to resources and other users. See you around! 

[benevolenthellsite]

See the Tumblr you wish to see

Turns out, 36% of you would be happier on Tumblr if you could avoid toxic content. 

Tumblr has some features to make that easier:

1. Filter tags

2. Filter post content

3. Block users

#social media #mental health

[benevolenthellsite]

Stuck in a mindless scroll?

Take a break to reflect on how your behavior online makes you feel.

#human behavior #mental health #social media #mindless scroll

[benevolenthellsite]

Why happiness matters

Now that we have thought about what happiness is…what can science tell us about why it’s important?

Simply put, happiness is good for us. It has a significant effect on our health and longevity, and our daily choices.

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of scientific research showing that happiness benefits the health of our bodies, strength of our relationships, and creativity of our minds.

For example, this study of Catholic nuns’ happiness showed that nuns who were happy in their twenties lived, on average, 7-10 years longer than those who were less happy. Studies have also shown that feeling positive emotions strengthens the immune system, reduces chronic pain, and protects the heart.

Other research has revealed another link between happiness and health, showing that eudaimonic happiness may structurally change our DNA, making our cells live longer.  Happy people are also more productive and make better decisions.

Given that the average person will spend about 45 years looking at screens within their lifetime, the relationship between our happiness and our devices is clearly important. Not only is our subjective well-being on the line, but also our health, productivity, and identities.

#happiness #psychology #health #wellbeing #mental health #science

[benevolenthellsite]

Scientific definitions of happiness

Modern psychologists tend to define happiness with the same two components that constituted ancient philosophical debates:

Not deep (Hedonistic)—joy or fleeting pleasure

Deep (Eudemonic)—connection with community, an overall sense that one’s life is going well, giving back

Renowned psychologist Ed Diener (nicknamed ‘Dr. Happiness’) similarly measured happiness by asking: “how satisfied are you with your life?” and “on a daily basis how many negative vs positive emotions are you feeling?” These questions encompass the two general channels that make up what many of us consider happiness today—life satisfaction and affect.  

In her 2007 book, The How of Happiness, positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky describes happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.”

Broad scientific definitions of happiness, such as those above, generally allow for variations in understandings of happiness that inevitably occur amongst individuals. Conceptualizations of happiness vary according to seemingly endless factors, such as one’s culture, geographic location, biology, lifestyle, health, and personal history. As a result, everyone’s view of what happiness means to them is unique. 

For most of you who responded to our survey, happiness on Tumblr is a balance between connection (the most important), a good laugh or welcome distraction, and inspiration. All of which contribute to both eudemonic and hedonistic joy in varying capacities.

#happiness #social media #mental health #psychology #subjective well being

[benevolenthellsite]

A brief philosophical overview of ‘happiness’

Many of your responses last week (I read allll of them) rightly pointed out that any ‘happiness’ question is incredibly complex, and therefore difficult to answer. 

While the concept of happiness is elusive, its omnipresence across cultures, societies, and throughout history provides us a framework for evaluation within the Tumblr community. 

So, where to begin?

Can we talk about happiness without getting into ancient philosophy? 

In the West, ancient Greek philosophy includes some of the earliest recorded discussions of happiness, or eudaimonia, which is (basically) rational action performed virtuously. For example, in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, a contemplative, philosophical life is a happy life. While there are many nuances within Greek philosophies of happiness, the gist here is virtue. 

Similarly, in the East, Buddhist philosophy is based on the Four Noble Truths, which point to acceptance and detachment from suffering in order to reach nirvana.  Happiness in Buddhism is a state of mind in which an individual is aware of their insignificance, detached from suffering, and wholly compassionate. Other traditions such as Taoism, Confucianism, and Hinduism similarly value the collective over the individual and giving back to society rather than focusing on selfish desires. But what if happiness to you is not solely reliant on finding ‘meaning’ in life (whatever ‘meaning’ means to you!)?

In Epicurean philosophy (a form of hedonism), originating from Europe, happiness is the sum of all sensory pleasures and the absence of pain. A hedonic view rests solely on sensory, fleeting pleasure.

However, even virtue-touting Aristotle noted that more hedonic pleasures—good friends, health, and access to resources—are necessary to achieve his version of long-term happiness, eudaimonia. In an online context, this means we need short-term entertainment in order to have the ability and energy for our ‘later self.’  But Aristotle rejected the notion that hedonism would build a happy life alone without virtue or more meaningful pursuits. 

In your responses to the survey, many of you sounded like Aristotle: 

My “now self” wants immediate entertainment, while my “later self” wants to focus on long-term growth. But I don’t view the entertainment as all bad. Sometimes I need a mood boost or distraction in order to take on content or activities that are more for my later self. The problem lies when I stay online too long* or get sucked into toxic content. 

Today, modern-day psychologists with a global perspective similarly tend to define happiness at the intersection of 1) meaning + virtue and 2) fleeting pleasure. This is the lens with which we understand happiness and will proceed in considering user well-being. 

*Note: In behavioral economics, this is called the point of diminishing marginal utility. It explains why the satisfaction derived from consumption of something (in this case, content) wanes as you consume more of it. Think of how ‘one more’ chocolate chip cookie might make you feel sick instead of pleasantly full.

#happiness philosophy #aristotle #mindless scrolling #social media #mental health #philosophy #happiness #buddhist philosophy #buddhism #psychology

[benevolenthellsite]

Dear Tumblr,

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a mindless scroll and can’t get out?

Ah, the gap between intent and action, the “now self” vs. the “later self,” or morning guy vs. night guy:

We all know our tendency to opt for immediate rewards even when (especially when?!) it doesn’t align with long-term goals. We put off exercise. Date people we shouldn’t. Watch shows instead of work. 

As a researcher interested in all things human behavior, this got me thinking. The internet (more specifically, Tumblr) is the perfect place for us to more deeply understand why we behave in ways that don’t make us happy. Tumblr sees a future where social platforms aren’t designed to exploit our tendency to seek immediate rewards. So I approached them with a question:

What if we could ‘nudge’ our decisions to reflect a version of ourselves that brings us happiness in both the short and long-term?

Enter Benevolent Hellsite.

Welcome to an exploration and investigation of happiness and human behavior online. This blog is a staff-affiliated, independent research project designed to start a conversation.

The end goal? 

Create real features on Tumblr meant to increase short and long-term happiness, informed by YOU—Tumblr users—and the science of human behavior.

What to expect from this blog:

1. Open discussions about how our behavior online leads to (or takes away from) our happiness

2. Prototypes of new features and quizzes based on your responses

‘Happiness’ looks different for everyone, so...

Share your thoughts in the replies: How does time spent on Tumblr influence your happiness?

#mental health #happiness #human behavior #humans are weird #mindless scrolling