The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. This year’s World Happiness Report focuses on happiness and the community: how happiness has evolved over the past dozen years, with a focus on the technologies, social norms, conflicts and government policies that have driven those changes.

This year’s happiness report focuses on happiness and the community: how happiness has evolved over the past dozen years, with a focus on the technologies, social norms, conflicts and government policies that have driven those changes. Special chapters focus on generosity and prosocial behaviour, the effects of happiness on voting behavior, big data, and the happiness effects of internet use and addictions.

In 2017 the US was ranked 14th.  In 2018 the US was ranked 18th.  The United States is now ranked 19th in 2019.    The report even devotes a special chapter 5 to  The Sad State of Happiness in the United States …” (see below).

One reported factor, in this decline for the USA, is  “Overall, activities related to smartphones and digital media are linked to less happiness, and those not involving technology are linked to more happiness.”

• Read by Chapter

• Chapter 1 Happiness and Community: An Overview
• Chapter 2 Changing World Happiness
• Chapter 3 Happiness and Voting Behavior
• Chapter 4 Happiness and Prosocial Behavior: An Evaluation of the Evidence
• Chapter 5 The Sad State of Happiness in the United States and the Role of Digital Media
• Chapter 6 Big Data and Well-being
• Chapter 7 Addiction and Unhappiness in America

Posted March 21, 2019