Can happiness spread online? The Happiness Effect movement seeks to find out on the International Day of Happiness.

On the International Day of Happiness on 20 March 2013,  The Happiness Effect (THE) movement will be launched.  Over 100 days from 20 March to 27 June 2013, this global movement seeks to positively touch a million people by spreading happiness online.

Earlier studies suggest that happiness can spread amongst social networks up to 3 degrees of separation. Harvard social scientist Dr. Nicholas Christakis and political scientist James Fowler at the University of California at San Diego reported that emotions can pass among a network of people up to three degrees of separation away.  This means that people who are surrounded by many happy people tend to be happier with time.

However, in a more recent study released in 2013, John F. Helliwell and Haifang Huang found that “real-life friends” have a much more significant impact than online friends on a person’s happiness levels.  Specifically, they found that the number of real-life friends is positively correlated with subjective well-being (SWB).  Doubling the number of friends in real life can increase well-being to the equivalent effect of a 50% increase in income.  However, the size of one’s online networks was largely uncorrelated with SWB.

‘We do not believe that social media and online connections can, or should, replace real-life relationships.  Studies however that suggest that focusing on positive events, people and solutions in life (rather than negatives and problems) can make people happier.  The Happiness Effect (THE) movement explores the extent to which social media and technology can help to spread and amplify these positive emotions. We invite people to share their happy thoughts, feelings and moments through pictures, videos, and heart-felt comments,’ said Ms Angela Lam, founder of THE movement.

Over 100 days, THE movement invites the world to take 1 action a day to make someone happy, and to share these acts of happiness through videos, photos, tweets, and stories. The actions are selected from the free Happiness Manifesto or public suggestions.  Happiness Angels are also nominated and voted by the public, to recognize the joy, happiness and positive contributions that they make to others. The objective of these actions is to increase consciousness of our options in daily lives. When a positive action is taken and shared online - such as an affirming word or a hug - another person is touched or affected.

‘Technology has become an integral part of our lives.  We want to explore how we can use technology and social media to increase rather than decrease happiness and meaningful interaction’, said Ms Lam. 

Here’s how you can participate and be a part of the movement:

1.  ‘Like’ and share the website and Facebook page at www.thehappinesseffect.com and www.facebook.com/thehappinesseffect.

2.  Follow the movement on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thehappinessef1.

3.  Download the free Happiness Manifesto at http://thehappinesseffect.com/book-videos, and offer your suggested ideas on actions that the world can take together to spread happiness.

4.  Tune in daily from 20 March 2013, do the selected happiness actions and upload your pictures, videos, ideas and comments on THE Facebook page or twitter.  Start your tweets with the #TheHappinessEffect.

For more information, please visit www.thehappinesseffect.com.