Our public discourse about technology has become overwhelmingly negative and pessimistic. Media narratives and public commentary primarily highlight technology’s potential harms, such as mental health deterioration, erosion of personal privacy, the rapid spread of misinformation, and social fragmentation. But this is clearly not the whole story. Nearly all Americans now have internet access and smartphones, and they are using these tools in ways that enhance their personal and professional lives.
If we want to address legitimate concerns and optimize our relationship with technology, we need a more balanced conversation that, in addition to focusing on potential harms, also examines and recognizes the meaningful benefits many people derive from their digital experiences. Our research at the Human Flourishing Lab helps shed light on the positive dimensions of technology use that are often overshadowed in public discourse.
Previous academic research established the concept of digital flourishing, defined as positive perceptions of computer-mediated engagement. In this research, digital flourishing encompasses five dimensions. These include feeling: 1) motivated by online positive social comparison to pursue goals, 2) capable of engaging in civil discourse online, 3) in control of the time spent online, 4) connected to online communities, and 5) able to present one’s true self online. Studies reveal that individuals who experience digital flourishing across these dimensions are more socially fulfilled, satisfied with their lives, and optimistic about the future.
However, this research does not document the prevalence of digital flourishing. Is it a rare experience enjoyed by only a privileged few, or does it represent a more widespread phenomenon across American society? To explore this question, our team conducted a nationally representative survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults.
American Adults Are Digitally Flourishing
Our findings offer encouraging news that stands in contrast to the popular, negative narratives about our digital lives. On four of the five dimensions of digital flourishing, the vast majority of American adults are flourishing. Most Americans indicate that they are able to engage in civil discourse online (83%), can control the amount of time they spend online (86%), feel connected to online communities (69%), and feel comfortable presenting their true selves online (84%). It was only on the dimension of being motivated to pursue goals by online positive social comparison that a minority (49%) indicated flourishing.
This suggests that half of American adults do not find inspiration for their own ambitions from others online. However, among younger generations of adults (Gen Z and Millennials), roughly 60% report flourishing in this dimension. In fact, the majority of Gen Z and Millennials are flourishing on all five dimensions. Our results also indicate that these high rates of digital flourishing are found across income categories. The positive benefits of online engagement are not exclusive to those with greater financial resources.
Generational Divides
We did observe some noteworthy generational differences. In addition to being more likely to feel motivated to pursue goals by online social comparison, young adults (Gen Z and Millennials) are also more likely to indicate that they feel connected to online communities, compared to older generations. However, Gen X and Baby Boomers are more likely than younger generations to report feeling in control of the amount of time they spend online.
Perhaps intergenerational friendships could help Americans learn from each other’s digital strengths. Indeed, a Harris Poll survey found that among Americans who indicated that they are friends with individuals outside of their generation, 80% reported that these relationships give them tangible benefits such as new skills or an expanded perspective on life.
Digital Habits and Mental Health
Importantly, we found strong relationships between digital flourishing and mental and social health. These findings suggest that not only are most adults thriving in their digital lives, but these positive online experiences are also benefiting their overall well-being.
Though our survey included American adults in all age groups, we found it especially important to focus on Gen Z adults, who are often characterized as having particularly unhealthy relationships with technology. This isn’t just older generations expressing concerns about young Americans. Young adults themselves voice similar worries about technology’s impact on their age group, even though most of them indicate that they are personally digitally flourishing. For example, a previous survey conducted by our team found that 80% of Gen Z adults worry their generation is too dependent on technology, 75% are concerned about social media’s impact on young people’s mental health, and 58% believe new technologies are more likely to drive people apart than bring them together.
Consistent with broader research showing that young adults experience higher rates of mental health issues and social disconnection, our digital flourishing survey found that Gen Z reports poorer mental and social health compared to older generations. Critically, the relationship between digital flourishing and well-being follows the same pattern we observed across all age groups. Gen Z adults who report positive online experiences also tend to report better mental and social health.
More research is needed to understand why Gen Z perceives themselves as less psychologically healthy and socially connected than older generations. Our societal focus on mental health awareness may be a contributing factor. While well-intended, efforts encouraging young people to regularly fixate on and discuss their negative emotions might inadvertently promote rumination and other maladaptive responses to normal life challenges, potentially exacerbating mental health difficulties rather than alleviating them.
Digital engagement presents both challenges and opportunities in this context. On one hand, young people often encounter scientifically unsupported mental health advice on social media platforms, which can lead them to adopt counterproductive approaches to mental wellness. For example, research finds that the more individuals turn to social media for information about anxiety, the less accurate their knowledge is about anxiety disorders. On the other hand, digital tools offer tremendous potential for delivering evidence-based psychological interventions.
For instance, studies indicate that online (videoconferencing) psychotherapy can be as effective as in-person treatment, and early research on mental health treatment delivered by generative artificial intelligence chatbots is encouraging. However, mental health experts have concerns about AI’s current limitations, potential risks to users, and lack of adequate oversight. This underscores the idea that digital technology has a nuanced impact on mental health that defies simplicstic characterizations.
Finding Balance
Americans and people all over the world clearly value digital innovations, which have improved their lives in many ways. Thanks to these tools, humans can maintain personally cherished connections across distances, access educational opportunities and wellness services previously unavailable to them, find supportive communities aligned with their goals or interests, experience greater employment flexibility with remote and hybrid work options, enjoy diverse entertainment offerings, and pursue new creative and entrepreneurial endeavors. These advances have also been transformative for those with disabilities, providing adaptive tools that enable greater independence, communication, and participation in the labor force. And according to our research, most American adults are digitally flourishing.
Yet we shouldn’t ignore those who struggle in online spaces. Simply demonizing technology won’t help these individuals navigate an increasingly computer-mediated world. Instead, given that digital flourishing is already a reality for many Americans, a more productive approach would be to investigate what distinguishes positive from negative digital experiences.
What specific strategies, habits, and mindsets characterize those who thrive online? How might these insights translate into practical guidance for those whose digital engagement is causing or contributing to personal or professional problems? And though our survey focused exclusively on adults, we also need to consider developmental factors important to digital flourishing that can help parents and educators support children and teenagers in cultivating a healthy relationship with technology. These research directions could inform both individual practices and the thoughtful design of digital environments.
We need a more balanced approach to thinking and talking about our digital lives—one that acknowledges problems but also celebrates how technology enhances human well-being. Only by telling the full story of our relationship with technology can we create a future where digital tools more consistently contribute to individual and societal flourishing.
