Podcast Summary
Measuring daily happiness levels worldwide: Researchers use Twitter data to quantify happiness and inform policy decisions, aiming to improve overall well-being
Researchers have developed a tool called the hedonometer to measure and plot daily happiness levels of people worldwide. This project, started in 2007, aimed to quantify happiness as a factor in policy decisions, as governments often base decisions on easily quantifiable metrics like GDP. The researchers, Peter Dodds and Chris Danforth, discovered Twitter as a valuable data source for constantly updating thoughts and emotions. Despite the speaker's personal misgivings about happiness and her own feelings of unhappiness, she was intrigued by the potential of this research to help understand and improve overall well-being. The interview was interrupted by her young daughter, but the conversation continued with Peter discussing the origins and goals of the hedonometer project.
Twitter's Analysis of Emotional Impact of Words: Twitter analyzes 15M daily tweets, assigns happiness scores to 10,000 words, updates list, identifies mood shifts in texts, useful for understanding media impact on moods.
Twitter has been collecting and analyzing data on the emotional impact of words used on their platform since they began tracking English language tweets a decade ago. Initially, they gathered only 10% of tweets, but this has since grown exponentially to over 15 million tweets per day. Researchers at Twitter analyzed 10,000 words, assigning each a happiness score based on how people rated their emotional response to the words. The happiest words include those like laughter, happiness, love, and happy, while the unhappiest words include those like die, suicide, terrorist, and coronavirus, with words like ventilator, self-quarantine, and sanitizer also ranking high in sadness. The list of words is constantly updated, with words like thirsty being retired due to their meaning changing. Researchers use this data to analyze texts, such as books, and have found that the hedonometer, which measures happiness and sadness, accurately identified the mood shifts in texts like Crime and Punishment and The Count of Monte Cristo. This data could be useful for understanding how different forms of media impact our moods.
Decline in Happiness over the Last 5 Years: English-speaking world experienced a significant decline in happiness since 2016, with specific events such as the stock market crash and social unrest causing the unhappiest day on record since 2008. Despite the misery, there's a sense of satisfaction in acknowledging and enduring this period.
According to the hedonometer, a tool used to measure happiness and sadness from language data on social media, the English-speaking world has experienced a significant decline in happiness over the last five years. This decline was most notably seen during specific events such as the stock market crash in March 2020, the Amy Cooper incident in May, and the death of George Floyd also in May. These events led to the unhappiest day on record since 2008. Globally, big holidays are the only events that unite us in happiness. The hedonometer has shown that we have lost a Christmas day's worth of happiness since 2016. Despite the misery, there seems to be a sense of satisfaction in acknowledging and enduring this difficult period, as if it is preparing us for future challenges. The hedonometer's data confirms what many people have felt, making it a useful tool for understanding collective emotions.
Collective Trauma's Impact on Population Well-being: The death of George Floyd and other traumatic events caused an unprecedented dip in happiness levels, as measured by the hedonometer. Technology can help quantify emotional trends and shed light on their impact on population well-being.
The death of George Floyd in 2020 resulted in an unprecedented collective sadness that lasted for an entire month, as evidenced by a significant dip in happiness levels on the hedonometer. This sadness was a response to a series of traumatic events that hit the population in a short period of time, including the Boston Marathon bombing, the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Las Vegas mass shooting, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The depth and longevity of this negative spike on the hedonometer were unprecedented, reflecting the profound impact of these events on the population's well-being. The speaker, intrigued by this data, considered analyzing their own text messages to see if their personal happiness levels aligned with the trend. However, the company that operates the hedonometer, Quaca, does not analyze individual data to protect privacy. The speaker collected and analyzed their own text messages, finding over 13,000 messages in the past year. This anecdote highlights the profound impact of collective trauma on population well-being and the potential for technology to quantify and analyze emotional trends.
Text message analysis of Goldman's communications: A study of Goldman's 13,000 text messages revealed unusual patterns like 'stretchable words' and 'blob messages'. His messages contained 4 times more hate than love, and his early texts in 2019 were more positive than his Twitter activity.
A researcher analyzed the text messages sent by a person named Goldman between October 16, 2019, and October 15, 2020. The analysis revealed that Goldman sent around 13,000 messages, with about 40 messages a day. The messages contained a lot of heart emojis, LOLs, and eggplant emojis. The researcher also found some unusual patterns, such as the use of "stretchable words" and "blob messages." Goldman's texts between 3 AM and 6 AM were found to contain negative words like "terrible," "hate," "suffering," and "crime." The analysis suggested that for every one love message, there were five hate messages, making the love-to-hate ratio 4 to 1. The researcher also noted that Goldman's messages in October 2019 were more positive than his Twitter activity. The analysis provides insights into Goldman's communication patterns and emotional state during the studied period. It also highlights the potential of text message analysis as a tool for understanding human behavior and emotions.
Tracking Happiness Levels with Data: Emotions and happiness levels can be analyzed through data, revealing specific events and circumstances that impact our happiness. In Oct-Nov 2019, I was happiest due to a story, wedding, and Thanksgiving. However, happiness declined in Dec-Feb 2020 due to winter and pandemic. Sept 2020 was the worst month. Twitter emotions were negative in Oct 2020.
Our emotions and happiness levels can be tracked and analyzed through data, as evidenced by the hedonometer's findings. According to the data, I was my happiest in October and November of 2019. During that time, I was working on a story, attending a wedding, and spending Thanksgiving with my kids, all of which contributed to my happiness. However, my happiness levels declined in December and continued to drop in January and February due to the winter months and the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Surprisingly, September 2020 was the worst month for me, likely due to concerns about my child's schooling. The hedonometer also showed that Twitter was in a downward trajectory during October 2020, with emotions such as anger, hate, and stress dominating the platform. Overall, this discussion highlights the potential of using data to gain insights into our emotional well-being and identifies specific events and circumstances that can positively or negatively impact our happiness.
Recognizing the Unique Impact of Hardships: Acknowledge personal emotions, validate feelings, and seek happiness in small moments during challenging times.
Despite the chaotic state of the world with ongoing political events, the pandemic, and personal struggles, it's essential to recognize that everyone experiences hardships differently. The speaker acknowledges feeling a deeper impact from these events than most but emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and validating one's emotions rather than comparing them to others. Additionally, the conversation touched upon the idea that even in difficult times, it's crucial not to miss moments of happiness, no matter how small. The speaker's wife's example of going the extra mile to enhance her daily life serves as a reminder that most people are resilient and strive for happiness in their own ways. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of self-awareness, empathy, and the pursuit of happiness in the midst of adversity.
Discovering joy in simple self-care practices: Sharing simple self-care practices can bring joy and support during difficult times, encouraging listeners to send voice memos sharing their own experiences.
Self-care is an essential part of living a happier life, even during difficult times. The speakers in this podcast conversation shared their personal experiences of discovering simple things that bring them joy and help them cope with stress. These activities, such as taking a bath, playing a game, or making a bed, may seem small, but they can make a significant difference in one's mood and overall well-being. The speakers encourage listeners to share their own self-care practices, no matter how small, by sending a voice memo to the show's email address. The conversation highlights that everyone's journey towards self-care is unique, and there's no need to feel embarrassed about the things that bring us happiness. By sharing our experiences, we can learn from each other and support one another during challenging times.
A Team Effort: Mixing, Fact Checking, Intern Assistance, Theme Song, Music Production, and Special Thanks: Our podcast is a collaborative effort with a team of dedicated individuals handling mixing, fact checking, intern assistance, theme song, music production, and special thanks, ensuring high-quality audio and accurate content.
The creation of our podcast involves a team of dedicated individuals. We were mixed by Rick Kwan, ensuring high-quality audio. Fact checking was meticulously handled by Michelle Harris, maintaining the accuracy of our content. Our intern, Mohini Madhgaukar, contributes valuable assistance. Our theme song is provided by the enigmatic Brakemaster Cylinder, adding to our unique identity. Additional music production is expertly done by Mari Romano. Special thanks go out to Chris Danforth and Andy Reagan for their contributions. Matt Lieber brings Christmas day happiness to our team. You can listen to our show on Spotify or any podcast platform. Join us next time for more insightful discussions.
