The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

We’re still reckoning with the effects of social media on young people’s mental health. Now, with artificial intelligence rapidly becoming part of our everyday lives, we’re at risk of making the same mistakes all over again.
In this live conversation from SXSW EDU, Dr. Laurie is joined by Bruce Reed — head of AI at Common Sense Media and former White House deputy chief of staff — to explore how social media and AI are shaping young people’s happiness and wellbeing, and what parents, educators, and policymakers can do to help kids thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Experts Mentioned:
Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University
Bruce Reed, Head of AI at Common Sense Media
Catherine Price, science journalist
Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General of the United States
Cass Sunstein, Professor at Harvard Law School
Elizabeth Dunn, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia
Nicholas Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Michael Inzlicht, Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University and “the father of flow”
Robyn Koslowitz, clinical psychologist and parenting educator
David Yeager, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin
Jonathan Haidt, Professor of Business and Society at New York University
Kristin Neff, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin
Jamil Zaki, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University
Resources Mentioned:
“Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?,” by Jean Twenge (The Atlantic, 2017)
“The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Zero to Eight,” (Common Sense Media, 2025)
How to Break Up with Your Phone, (07:33) by Catherine Price (2018)
“Constant Companion: A Week in the Life of a Young Person's Smartphone Use,” (Common Sense Media, 2023)
“Social Media and Youth Mental Health,” (The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, 2023)
“Social media, wasting time, and product traps,” by Cass Sunstein (World Happiness Report, 2026)
“Teens and Mental Health: How Girls Really Feel About Social Media,” (Common Sense Media, 2023)
“Teens and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys,” by Emily A. Vogels and Risa Gelles-Watnick (Pew Research Center, 2023)
“Scroll With Caution: Another State Requires Social Media Warning Labels,” by Jennifer Vilcarino (Education Week, 2026)
“From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children's social media access,” (Reuters, 2026)
“Australia’s Social Media Ban Is Floundering. Can It Still Help Younger Kids?,” by Victoria Kim (The New York Times, 2026)
“Mark Zuckerberg Thinks AI 'Friends' Can Solve The Loneliness Crisis. Here's What AI Experts Think.,” by Brittany Wong (HuffPost, 2025)
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, (32:24) by Jonathan Haidt (2024)
“Social AI Companions Risk Assessment,” (Common Sense Media, 2025)
“Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions,” (Common Sense Media, 2025)
“A Teen Was Suicidal. ChatGPT Was the Friend He Confided In.,” by Kashmir Hill (The New York Times, 2025)
“How Does Turning to AI for Companionship Predict Loneliness and Vice Versa?,” by Dunigan Folk and Elizabeth Dunn (Psychological Science, 2026)
“Is a random human peer better than a highly supportive chatbot in reducing loneliness over time?,” by Ruo-Ning Li, Dunigan Folk, Abhay Singh, Lyle Ungar, and Elizabeth Dunn (Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2026)
A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection, by Nicholas Epley (2026)
“The Effort Paradox: Effort Is Both Costly and Valued,” by Michael Inzlicht, Amitai Shenhav, and Christopher Y Olivola (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2018)
“The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love,” by Michael Norton, Daniel Mochon, and Dan Ariely (Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2012)
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990)
“Generation Al: What Kids and Families Think About Al,” (Common Sense Media, 2026)
“Collaborative Problem Solving reduces children's emotional and behavioral difficulties and parenting stress: Two key mechanisms,” by Georgina Heath, Christopher Fife-Schaw, Lu Wang, Christopher Eddy, Michael Hone, Alisha Pollastri (Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2020)
10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People, (30:52) by David Yeager (2024)
The Amazing Generation: Your Guide to Fun and Freedom in a Screen-Filled World, (32:21) by Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price (2025)
“The benefits of radical acceptance of reality as a standalone strategy for emotion regulation,” by Or Segal, Karin Bronshtein, and Noam Weinbach (Current Psychology, 2025)
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristin Neff (2011)
Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, (40:38) by Jamil Zaki (2024)
Related Episodes:
“What is Social Media Doing to Kids? with Dr. Jean Twenge”
“Why You’re Still Using Social Media (Even If You Want to Stop) with Dr. Cass Sunstein”
“Reducing the Stress of Parenting with Dr Vivek Murthy”
“How Smartphones Changed Childhood (And What to do About it)”
“How to Think Like a Child (with David Yeager)”
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Cats have a reputation for being aloof, independent, and sometimes downright indifferent to their human companions. But what if we've been getting cats all wrong?
In honor of National Cat Day, Dr. Laurie is joined by cat behavior expert Dr. Kristyn Vitale to explore the surprising science of our relationships with cats. They unpack what cats really think about their human caregivers, how our feline friends can boost our happiness and wellbeing, and what we can do to make their lives happier, too.
Experts Mentioned:
Kristyn Vitale, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and internationally recognized expert in cat behavior and the cat-human relationship
John Bowlby, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and founder of attachment theory
Mary Ainsworth, developmental psychologist and creator of the Strange Situation assessment
Harry Harlow, University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher and former director of their Primate Laboratory
Karen McComb, Emeritus Professor of Animal Behaviour and Cognition at the University of Sussex
Wendy Berry Mendes, Professor of Psychology at Yale University
Mikel Maria Delgado, animal behavioural scientist
Resources Mentioned:
“Social interaction, food, scent or toys? A formal assessment of domestic pet and shelter cat (Felis silvestris catus) preferences,” by Kristyn Vitale, Lindsay Mehrkam, and Monique Udell (Behavioural Processes, 2017)
“The quality of being sociable: The influence of human attentional state, population, and human familiarity on domestic cat sociability,” by Kristyn Vitale and Monique Udell (Behavioural Processes, 2019)
“Attachment bonds between domestic cats and humans,” by Kristyn Vitale, Alexandra Behnke, and Monique Udell (Current Biology, 2019)
“The Development of Affectional Responses in Infant Monkeys,” by Harry Harlow and Robert Zimmermann (Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 1958)
“Attachment, Exploration, and Separation: Illustrated by the Behavior of One-Year-Olds in a Strange Situation,” by Mary Ainsworth and Silvia Bell (Child Development, 1970)
“Maternal Care and Mental Health,” by John Bowlby (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 1951)
“The cry embedded within the purr,” by Karen McComb, Anna Taylor, Christian Wilson, Benjamin Charlton (Current Biology, 2009) — Thank you to Professor McComb and her team for letting us include the solution purr audio in this episode!
“Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs,” by Karen Allen, Jim Blascovich, and Wendy Mendes (Psychosomatic Medicine, 2002)
“Social referencing and cat-human communication,” by Isabella Merola, Martina Lazzaroni, Sarah Marshall-Pescini, and Emanuela Prato-Previde (Animal Cognition, 2015)
“Cats (Felis silvestris catus) read human gaze for referential information,” by Péter Pongrácz, Julianna Szulamit Szapu, and Tamás Faragó (Intelligence, 2019)
“Domestic cats (Felis catus) discriminate their names from other words,” by Atsuko Saito, Kazutaka Shinozuka, Yuki Ito, and Toshikazu Hasegawa (Scientific Reports, 2019)
“The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat–human communication,” by Tasmin Humphrey, Leanne Proops, Jemma Forman, Rebecca Spooner, and Karen McComb (Scientific Reports, 2020)
Play with Your Cat!, by Mikel Maria Delgado (2024)
“Cat School” — Youtube channel
“Positive Reinforcement Training Educational Toolkit,” by Feline Veterinary Medical Association (2026)
Maueyes — Educational resources
Related Episodes:
“Let Slip the Dogs of More Happiness”
“How Dogs Changed my Life (with The Dogist)”
“‘Birds Are Like My Afternoon Martini’ (Birding with Lili Taylor)”
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You might assume that people who study happiness for a living have it all figured out. But even happiness experts struggle to follow their own advice. They know the science behind feeling happier, managing difficult emotions, and building healthier habits — but putting that knowledge into practice is another story. Why is it so hard to do the things we know are good for us?
In a live conversation recorded at SXSW, Dr. Laurie gets personal with her good friend, psychologist Ethan Kross, about the times they've struggled to practice what they preach. Together, they explore the psychological biases that can get in our way and share science-backed strategies for managing difficult emotions, building better habits, and turning that knowledge into action.
Experts Mentioned:
Ethan Kross, Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan
Tamar Gendler, Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Yale University
Gabriele Oettingen, Professor of Psychology at New York University and the University of Hamburg
Carey Morewedge, Professor of Marketing at Boston University
Christina Maslach, Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley
Kristin Neff, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin
Resources Mentioned:
Shift: Managing Your Emotions — So They Don't Manage You, by Ethan Kross (2025)
Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It, by Ethan Kross (2021)
“Knowing is Half the Battle,” by Laurie Santos and Tamar Gendler (Edge, 2014)
Müller-Lyer Illusion
“Exploring Solomon’s Paradox: Self-Distancing Eliminates the Self-Other Asymmetry in Wise Reasoning About Close Relationships in Younger and Older Adults,” by Igor Grossmann and Ethan Kross (Psychological Science, 2014)
WOOP: Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan
Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation, by Gabriele Oettingen (2014)
“Thought for Food: Imagined Consumption Reduces Actual Consumption,” by Carey Morewedge, Young Eun Huh, and Joachim Vosgerau (Science, 2010)
“Forming a flossing habit: an exploratory study of the psychological determinants of habit formation,” by Gaby Judah, Benjamin Gardner, and Robert Aunger (British Journal of Health Psychology, 2013)
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, by Katy Milkman (2021)
Burnout: The Cost of Caring, by Christina Maslach (1982)
Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, by Kristin Neff (2011)
“Self-Perception Theory,” by Daryl J. Bem (Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1972)
“Emotion Controllability Beliefs and Young People's Anxiety and Depression Symptoms: A Systematic Review,” by Matthew Somerville, Helen MacIntyre, Amy Harrison, and Iris Mauss (Adolescent Research Review, 2024)
“Implicit theories of emotion: Affective and social outcomes across a major life transition,” by Maya Tamir, Oliver John, Sanjay Srivastava, and James Gross (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2007)
Related Episodes:
“For Whom the Alarm Clock Tolls”
“Harnessing People Around us to Feel Happier (Live with Ethan Kross)”
“Coach Yourself Through a Crisis”
“Don’t Accentuate the Positive”
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For most of human history, we only had one way to talk to one another: our voices. Today, we have more ways to communicate than ever before. We can text, call, send a video message, reach out over social media, et cetera. And we often choose whichever option seems easiest or least awkward. But research suggests that how we choose to communicate matters much more than we realize and can have a surprising impact on how well we understand one another and how connected we feel.
In a live conversation recorded at the World Happiness Summit at SXSW, Dr. Laurie speaks with psychologist Nick Epley about the common mistakes we make when communicating in the modern world — and the small changes that could help us connect more meaningfully with the people around us. His new book, A Little More Social, is available now.
Experts Mentioned:
Nicholas Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Bronisław Malinowski, Polish anthropologist and ethnologist
Resources Mentioned:
A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection, by Nick Epley (2026)
“Hello, stranger? Pleasant conversations are preceded by concerns about starting one,” by Juliana Schroeder, Donald Lyons, and Nicholas Epley (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2022)
"The Problem of Meaning in Primitive Languages," by Bronisław Malinowski (1923)
“Is Conversation Magical?,” by Nicholas Epley (Chicago Booth Review, 2026)
“The Humanizing Voice: Speech Reveals, and Text Conceals, a More Thoughtful Mind in the Midst of Disagreement,” by Juliana Schroeder, Michael Kardas, and Nicholas Epley (Psychological Science, 2017)
"Egocentrism over e-mail: can we communicate as well as we think?," by Justin Kruger, Nicholas Epley, Jason Parker, and Zhi-Wen Ng (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2005)
“The Sound of Intellect: Speech Reveals a Thoughtful Mind, Increasing a Job Candidate's Appeal,” by Juliana Schroeder and Nicholas Epley (Psychological Science, 2015)
“It's surprisingly nice to hear you: Misunderstanding the impact of communication media can lead to suboptimal choices of how to connect with others,” by Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2021)
Related Episodes:
Forget Small Talk: Go Deep Instead
You’re Actually Not Bothering People Enough
Why Giving is a Great Daily Habit
The Surprising Case for Oversharing
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As we move through our busy lives, it’s easy to stop noticing the tiny, beautiful things all around us. But rediscovering the sense of wonder we had as children might not only bring us more joy — it could also help us better navigate life’s hardest moments.
Dr. Laurie explores that idea with traveling philosopher and former NPR correspondent Eric Weiner, author of The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers. Eric shares what he’s learned from walking in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau, including how the 19th-century philosopher can help us live better in the modern day and see beauty in the things we usually overlook.
Experts Mentioned:
Eric Weiner, journalist, author, and philosophical traveler
Henry David Thoreau, 19th-century American philosopher, poet, environmental scientist, and political activist
Socrates, ancient Greek philosopher
Epicurus, ancient Greek philosopher
Arthur Schopenhauer, 19th-century German philosopher
Ralph Waldo Emerson, 19th-century essayist, poet, and philosopher
Confucius, ancient Chinese philosopher
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 19th-century American novelist and short-story writer
Leslie Perrin Wilson, author and former curator of the Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library
Henry Miller, American novelist, short-story writer, and essayist
Resources Mentioned:
The Socrates Express: In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers, by Eric Weiner (2020)
Walden, by Henry David Thoreau (1854)
“Walking,” by Henry David Thoreau (1862)
Bhagavad Gita (second or first century BCE)
The Journal of Henry David Thoreau
“The playful mediator, moderator, or outcome? An integrative review of the roles of play and playfulness in adult-centered psychological interventions for mental health,” by Xiangyou Shen and Leland Masek (The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2024)
Related Episodes:
“Happiness Lessons of The Ancients: Confucius”
“The Science of Attention and Distraction”
“The Power of Awe… and Where to Find it”
“Sight and Sound: How to Joyfully Awaken Your Senses”
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