Replication Archive for: The Welfare Effects of Social Media
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Hunt Allcott, New York University; Luca Braghieri, Stanford University; Sarah Eichmeyer, Stanford University; Matthew Gentzkow, Stanford University
Version: View help for Version V1
| Name | File Type | Size | Last Modified |
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| gslab_make | 11/05/2019 02:27:AM | ||
| stata | 11/05/2019 02:27:AM | ||
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text/x-python | 11/04/2019 09:25:PM |
Project Description
Summary:
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The rise of social media has provoked both optimism about potential societal benefits and concern about harms such as addiction, depression, and political polarization. In a randomized experiment, we find that deactivating Facebook for the four weeks before the 2018 US midterm election (i) reduced online activity, while increasing offline activities such as watching TV alone and socializing with family and friends; (ii) reduced both factual news knowledge and political polarization; (iii) increased subjective well-being; and (iv) caused a large persistent reduction in post-experiment Facebook use. Deactivation reduced post-experiment valuations of Facebook, suggesting that traditional metrics may overstate consumer surplus.
Scope of Project
Subject Terms:
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Social media;
Political polarization;
Subjective well-being;
Consumer surplus from digital technologies
JEL Classification:
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D12 Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
D90 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: General
I31 General Welfare; Well-Being
L86 Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
O33 Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
D12 Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
D90 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: General
I31 General Welfare; Well-Being
L86 Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
O33 Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
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