Americans are shopping online in record numbers this holiday season, according to an analysis by Adobe Analytics. Online shopping certainly comes with added convenience: No traffic, no long lines, and a larger selection of available items—not to mention you can shop while wearing pajamas from the comfort of your sofa. But it can also be tricky to figure out exactly what you’re getting: How will that sweater fit? What do those sheets actually feel like? And do those sneakers really run small? [Read more…]
Use The Holidays To Promote Social Connection
November 26, 2024 By
Millions of people will gather with family and friends this week to celebrate what may be one of the most quintessential American holidays, Thanksgiving. For most people, the holiday revolves around turkey, football, and the start of the holiday shopping season. More Americans are also focusing on gratitude – the “thanks” part of Thanksgiving – which is demonstrated to promote physical, mental, and social well-being.
But there’s another aspect of Thanksgiving that is worth focusing on: gathering. [Read more…]
Humans and AI: Do They Work Better Together or Alone?
November 24, 2024 By
Artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous in modern society. While it may seem like a brand-new technology to many, computer scientists have been building and testing AI models—albeit simple ones initially—since the 1950s. You likely have been using AI in your daily life for much longer than you realize—it’s used in chatbots on websites, robotic vacuums that learn floorplans, digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, and much more. [Read more…]
Pickleball Could Extend Your Life
September 8, 2024 By
If you haven’t played it yet, you certainly know someone who has! Pickleball, the paddle sport that combines elements of ping pong, badminton, and tennis, has taken the U.S. by storm. [Read more…]
The Gender Divide in Imposter Syndrome
September 7, 2024 By
Maybe you feel unprepared for your new job, even though your resume fits the job description perfectly. Or maybe you joined a workout class and believe the other participants are more fit than you, even though that’s not the case. [Read more…]
Research Confirms That Loneliness Is Bad for Your Health
June 21, 2024 By
The data are clear: Americans are experiencing unprecedented levels of loneliness. In a new poll last month by the American Psychiatric Association, 30 percent of adults reported feelings of loneliness at least once a week over the past year; 10 percent said they felt lonely every day. [Read more…]
How Marijuana Legalization Is Affecting Use
June 19, 2024 By
Over the past several decades, marijuana legalization has accelerated across the United States. Cannabis is now legal for recreational use in 24 states and Washington, D.C., as well as for medical use in 38 states and Washington, D.C. Now that it’s more widely available, researchers are asking how legalization is affecting cannabis use. [Read more…]
How to Cultivate a Sense of Purpose
June 17, 2024 By
The evidence clearly shows that having a sense of purpose—no matter what that is—is good for us. Research shows that having a sense of purpose leads to better health outcomes for older adults, improves our daily mood and physical well-being, and is even associated with increased financial earnings.
Now researchers are delving more into how having a sense of purpose plays out in the lives of individual people. [Read more…]
Do Trigger Warnings Work?
April 26, 2024 By
The term trigger warning was coined in the late 1990s on feminist Internet message boards, where it cautioned readers about graphic depictions of crimes, typically rape. The idea was to help emotionally prepare readers for difficult content and allow them to opt out and avoid the content altogether. [Read more…]
Why Writing by Hand Is Better for Your Brain
April 24, 2024 By
Thousands of people now speak to their smart devices to make their grocery lists. Students are more likely to type out notes in class than write them down. And we often type or dictate calendar reminders into our smartphones instead of writing them on a wall calendar. In short, people across the globe and in a wide variety of settings primarily use digital devices to record the things they want to remember. [Read more…]
The Problem With How-to-Be-Happy Strategies
September 27, 2023 By
Advice on how to cultivate happiness is hard to avoid. Magazines, online news outlets, and television news tout the best ways to improve your mood and boost contentment. Often making the list: exercise, smiling (even when you don’t feel happy), and meditation. [Read more…]
Loneliness Harms Your Health
July 28, 2023 By
A broad new analysis published in the journal Nature Human Behavior demonstrates that social isolation and loneliness can lead to premature death. [Read more…]
