The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos Why You’re Still Using Social Media (Even If You Want to Stop) with Dr. Cass Sunstein

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Why is social media so hard to quit? We waste hours scrolling, feel worse when we log off, and still find ourselves going back for more.

Dr. Laurie sits down with Dr. Cass Sunstein, co-author of (00:00:57) Nudge, to explore a new concept from the 2026 World Happiness Report: the “product trap.” Together, they unpack why we keep returning to platforms that make us unhappy — and what it might take to finally break free.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

World Happiness Report 2026

The Problem of Social Cost

Valuing Facebook

The Welfare Effects of Social Media

When Product Markets Become Collective Traps: The Case of Social Media

Libertarian Paternalism Is Not an Oxymoron

The Host

Dr. Laurie Santos

Dr. Laurie Santos is Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University. Professor and podcast host Dr. Laurie Santos is an expert on human cognition and the…