Does Segregation Beget Segregation?
Two poverty researchers talk about the social forces reinforcing the cycle of segregation.
Social Networks
The Paradox in America's Treatment of Gun Violence
Where we worry most, we can help the least; and where we could help most, we care the least. Stopping gun violence is all about knowing where to start.
Spreading Healthy Moods Through Adolescents' Social Networks
British researchers report surrounding yourself with emotionally healthy friends is an effective way to avoid—or recover from—depression.
Fighting Epidemics With Math
Researchers tame the complicated social dynamics of infection by re-thinking reality.
The Internet Is Improving the Way We Communicate
Panic about the rise of social media is largely overhyped and misplaced.
Tax Crime Nation: Evasion and Return Scams on April 15
Tax evasion persists, and tax return scams involving identity theft are on the rise.
Trust in Cities: Too Little Social Capital and Replacing Local Trust
An established political order blocks innovation and economic development; there's too much local trust, with individuals only doing business with those they know. Look at what happened in Detroit.
On Twitter, Christians Are Happier Than Atheists
Followers of major Christian figures tend to express more positive emotions in their tweets than followers of well-known atheists.
What Your Cell Phone Data Actually Looks Like—and How It Might Be Used Against You
There's no reason to believe that the government is listening in on all of our phone calls, simply because the task is absurdly vast.
'The Internet Made Me Do It': Stop Blaming Social Media for Our Behavioral Problems
At the most fundamental level, all the Internet really does is make it possible for people to share information and ideas faster and more efficiently than earlier modes of communication.
Study: Marijuana Buffers Pain of Social Exclusion
New research suggests one reason for the popularity of pot may be that it helps people cope with the pain of loneliness.
Homer’s Facebook Suggests Iliad is True
A new analysis of the characters of three well-known mythical tales suggests the fantastic tales are grounded in reality.
Facebook: Saving Lives, One Kidney at a Time
Repressed death anxiety leads most of us to avoid becoming organ donors. Psychologists report Facebook may help change all that.
Is Facebook Stunting Your Child's Growth?
A sociologist says social media damages tweens’ emotional intelligence – with potentially serious consequences.
Bitter About Your Life? Blame Facebook
New research suggests heavy Facebook users are more likely to believe other people have happier lives.
Facebook Profile Pics Predict Future Happiness
College freshmen whose Facebook profile pictures featured intense smiles were more likely to feel satisfied with their lives 3½ years later.
Are Facebook, Twitter Fostering Civic Engagement?
While some argue that using Facebook, using Twitter and using their peers have awakened democracy in repressive lands, others argue they are lulling civic engagement to sleep in democracies.
Are Facebook Users Narcissists?
New research from Australia suggests Facebook users are more extroverted and narcissistic than Internet users not plugged into the social network.
The Arab Spring's Cascading Effects
The director of Project on Information Technology and Political Islam argues both the dangers of overemphasizing and ignoring the role of digital media in political change in Egypt and Tunisia.
Why Facebook Wants You to Have More Friends
Like a kind of social Ponzi scheme, the secret of social media is attracting more and more friends — to leverage more and more friends.
When Facebook Is Your Medical Record
Emerging research suggests kids' social network postings reflect their real-life behavior. Should that information be used in their medical care?
People Power Can Drive Climate Action
Abandoning sticks and taking up carrots, those concerned about climate change got a little sweaty on Oct. 10. Ecologist and blogger Kristian Beadle argues their Global Work Party had genuine results.
The Gadget in the Gray Flannel Suit
Generation S and the coming humanization of the digital revolution.