COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY USE AND WELL-BEING: DOES LESS SCREEN TIME LEAD TO GREATER HAPPINESS?

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY USE AND WELL-BEING: DOES LESS SCREEN TIME LEAD TO GREATHER HAPPINESS? by Kenzie M. Bush Spring 2018 Both positive and negative effects of communication technology use have been studied with contradictory findings. Some research has shown that engagement with this technology can reduce face-to-face interaction, which threatens subjective well-being. Other studies have shown that the right combination of personality traits and the amount and type of technology use can enhance well-being, to some degree. I examined the relationship between communication technology use and subjective well-being and whether participants sought face-to-face interaction when not engaged with this technology. Participants in the experimental group reduced their use of communication technology two days per week for three hours each day over a four-week period, while participants in the control group continued their regular use of communication technology. Communication technology use was defined as time engaged with any of the following devices: mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, television, movie screen, and headphones. Participants who reduced communication technology use reported increased levels of subjective well-being. While previous research on communication technology and well-being largely focused on the negative and positive effects of engagement, the current study focused on the positive effects of disengagement with this technology. The current study did not direct participants in the experimental group to engage in alternatives to communication technology. Communication technology use and well-being: Does less screen time lead to greater happiness? Would you choose have a face-to-face conversation over the ease and convenience of using technology to contact friends? Sending a text message or checking in with social media takes seconds and can be done anywhere, whether at work, at home, or in the car, whereas a face-to-face conversation requires travel to see the other person and a much greater time commitment. A growing number of people are beginning to choose technology over direct human contact. In the fourth quarter of 2017, Facebook had 239 million active users in North America, while Twitter had 68 million active users in the United States (Facebook, 2017; Twitter, 2017). These numbers indicate an upward trend in the use of social media in North America in recent years. According to Pew Research, 64% of Americans have a smart phone, which is a substantial increase from the 35% reported in 2011 (Anderson, 2015). Smart phones are versatile; in many ways they are like a handheld computer. Users can call, text, search for information, and use the device as a source of entertainment by playing games or watching television or movies. Smartphone users also search for jobs, access dating apps, receive news updates, and read books (Rainie & Perrin, 2017). According to Rainie and Perrin (2017), 46% of Americans say they “couldn’t live without” their smartphone. This is a change from the 54% who stated, “their cell phone is not always needed” in a 2014 survey (Rainie & Perrin, 2017). Smart phones are also used as a sole source of internet connection; people are forgoing home internet and opting for service on their mobile devices instead (Anderson, 2015; Rainie & Perrin, 2017). How people communicate and entertain themselves has been changing since the advent of the internet and mobile communication. The available options for entertainment