Connected, but at what cost?

Social Media Facebook users, randomized to deactivate their accounts for 4 weeks in exchange for $102, freed up an average of 60 minutes a day, spent more time socializing offline, became less politically polarized, and reported improved subjective well-being relative to controls. However, the treatment group also became less knowledgeable about current events. Allcott et al. report that after the 4-week deactivation period ended, the treated subjects' Facebook use remained persistently lower t…