Georgetown study finds little link between social tech use and adult life satisfaction
Researchers from Georgetown University, USC, and UC Berkeley published findings in Nature Human Behaviour on September 20, 2026, stating that changes in social technology use did not predict subsequent life satisfaction for US adults.
Study examines long-term user habits
The team conducted a longitudinal survey to track how digital tool usage influences well-being over time. They analyzed data from regular users across the United States to test existing theories about online platforms. The results showed no clear evidence that increased or decreased usage predicted changes in life satisfaction scores.
Experts note complex relationship
Kostadin Kushlev, a co-first author of the paper, compared the question to asking if eating is good for the heart. He explained that different foods do very different things and social technologies likely function in similar varied ways. The researchers concluded that previous disagreements among scientists often stem from how the core question is framed.
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