Survey Research
As part of work to gather information for the Building H Index, we conduct original survey research on everyday health behaviors, how people use different consumer products and services, and how those products/services influence health behaviors.
Most recently, with support from Einhorn Collaborative, Building H engaged the survey firm Verasight to conduct a survey of more than 3,100 US adults in August and September of 2023. The first report — on social media, video games and social connection — has now been released.
In December 2020, we developed a set of surveys to take a snapshot of everyday health-related behaviors in the U.S. and explore how popular products and services influence those behaviors. We used Google Consumer Surveys to field 10 surveys. Two surveys, of 5,000 U.S. adults each, covered everyday behaviors — such as eating habits, routine physical activity, sleep patterns, social activity, time spent outdoors and commuting routines — and people’s attitudes about those behaviors. Eight surveys, with sample sizes ranging from 500 to 1,000 people, examined the use of common products and services: video streaming, meal and grocery apps, prepared meal kits, ride hailing, bike share mapping apps and mobile gaming.
Work Products
The Connection Paradox
In this first report from our 2023 survey, we examine how social media use and video game playing are related to loneliness and social connection in the US. We found a paradox: greater use of both social media and video games was associated with more loneliness, but heavy users of both gave them high marks for improving social connection.
A Survey of Modern Life: Health Behaviors, Everyday Life and Popular Products
The first report from the 2020 survey data covers the top-line findings from the surveys, providing a national-level snapshot of behaviors like routine physical activity, sleep patterns, social activity, time spent outdoors, transportation habits and how they relate to use of services like video streaming, food delivery apps, ride hailing, bike share and mobile gaming.
A Survey of Modern Life: Entertainment—How Entertainment Services Influence Our Behavior
This report focuses on popular entertainment services: video streaming and mobile gaming, and how they influence behaviors such as sleeping and social connection.
A Survey of Modern Life: Sleep — New Data on American Sleeping Patterns
How much sleep are Americans getting and what gets in the way? This report looks at the troubling trend of short sleep, the racial and gender disparities in the data, and the factors that influence sleep.
A Survey of Modern Life: Mobility — Rideshare, Mapping Apps and Our Transportation Choices
This report covers findings from surveys on the use of rideshare services like Lyft and Uber, along with the experience of using mapping and directions services like Google Maps. It looks at the impact of these services on car ownership, choice of transportation mode, and more.
A Survey of Modern Life: Food — Delivery Apps, Meal Kits, Groceries and Cooking Dinner
How are new services like meal kits and delivery apps affecting our eating habits? This report looks at how (and how often) they’re used, how healthy people think they are, and what they substitute for. It also looks at the demographics of how often people cook their own dinners.
A Survey of Modern Life: Outdoor Time — How Much Time Do Americans Spend Outdoors
Spending time outdoors has many health benefits, but modern life can make it challenging. In this report, we look at how much outdoor time Americans get in their daily routines, how that varies by demographic group and whether people think they’re getting enough.
Team
Steve Downs, Carlo Martinez, Thomas Goetz, Sara Singer, Brittany Sigler