A newer version of this project is available. See below for other available versions.

Code for: Digital Addiction

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Hunt Allcott, Microsoft Research and NBER; Matthew Gentzkow, Stanford University and NBER; Lena Song, New York University

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
analysis			04/15/2022 10:22:AM
data			04/15/2022 10:22:AM
docs			04/15/2022 10:23:AM
experiment_design			04/15/2022 10:23:AM
lib			04/15/2022 10:23:AM
paper_slides			04/15/2022 10:25:AM
setup			04/15/2022 10:25:AM
LICENSE-code.md	text/x-web-markdown	1.1 KB	04/15/2022 06:22:AM
LICENSE-data.md	text/x-web-markdown	13.2 KB	04/15/2022 06:22:AM
README.md	text/x-web-markdown	20.7 KB	04/15/2022 06:22:AM

Project Citation:

Allcott, Hunt, Gentzkow, Matthew , and Song, Lena. Code for: Digital Addiction. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2022. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2022-06-24. https://doi.org/10.3886/E163822V1

Project Description

Summary:

Many have argued that digital technologies such as smartphones and social media are addictive. We develop an economic model of digital addiction and estimate it using a randomized experiment. Temporary incentives to reduce social media use have persistent effects, suggesting social media are habit forming. Allowing people to set limits on their future screen time substantially reduces use, suggesting self-control problems. Additional evidence suggests people are inattentive to habit formation and partially unaware of self-control problems. Looking at these facts through the lens of our model suggests that self-control problems cause 31 percent of social media use.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: Habit formation; projection bias; self-control; temptation; naivete; commitment devices; randomized experiments; social media

JEL Classification:
      D12 Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
      D61 Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
      D90 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: General
      D91 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
      I31 General Welfare; Well-Being
      L86 Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
      O33 Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

Geographic Coverage: United States

Time Period(s): 3/2020 – 7/2020

Data Type(s): experimental data

Related Publications

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Published Versions

V2 [2023-04-07]

V1 [2022-06-24]

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