Study: Experiences make us happier than possessions

"Even in tough economic times, you may find yourself with a bit of cash to spare. You've been working hard, and you want to treat yourself. Should you spend it on an experience, such as a baseball game or concert, or a material object?

Psychological research suggests that, in the long run, experiences make people happier than possessions.

That's in part because the initial joy of acquiring a new object, such as a new car, fades over time as people become accustomed to seeing it every day, experts said. Experiences, on the other hand, continue to provide happiness through memories long after the event occurred.

Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, presented his findings this week at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual meeting.

The study looked at 154 people enrolled at San Francisco State University, with an average age of about 25. Participants answered questions about a recent purchase -- either material or experiential -- they personally made in the last three months with the intention of making themselves happy.

While most people were generally happy with the purchase regardless of what it was, those who wrote about experiences tended to show a higher satisfaction at the time and after the experience had passed.

The most striking difference was in how participants said others around them reacted to either the purchased object or experience. Experiences led to more happiness in others than purchases did. A sense of relatedness to others -- getting closer to friends and family -- may be one of the reasons why experiences generate more happiness.

"When people spend money on life experiences, whether they also take someone with them or buy an extra ticket or whatever, most of our life experiences involve other individuals," Howell said. People were fulfilling their need for social bonding while having these experiences, he said. Visit CNNhealth.com, your connection for better living

Another reason for increased happiness in experiences, the researchers found, was that people felt a greater sense of vitality or "being alive" during the experience and in reflection, Howell said.

"As nice as your new computer is, it's not going to make you feel alive," he said.

Most psychologists who study the phenomenon say people adapt to a new purchase in six to eight weeks, up to a maximum of three months, Howell said. That means the initial pleasure we get from a new possession generally fades in a matter of months.

Howell's study builds on earlier work by Thomas Gilovich, professor and chairman of the psychology department at Cornell University. Gilovich and colleague Leaf Van Boven's seminal 2003 paper "To do or to have: That is the question" found similar results about possessions bringing less happiness than experiences.

Experts also point out that people are less self-conscious when comparing experiences than they are about possessions. It will probably bother you more that your friend's home theater is better than yours than if your friend saw more sights on her South Seas vacation, Gilovich said.

Experiences form "powerful and important memories that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world," Gilovich said.

It's not just individuals who should be thinking about investing in experiences when making purchasing choices -- policy makers should also keep this reasoning in mind for their communities, he said.

"If you create municipalities with more parks, bike trails, more hiking trails that make experiences easier, then I think you're going to have a happier population," he said.

With Valentine's Day coming up, does this research mean you should give your honey a nice dinner or weekend getaway rather than a material present, such as a necklace or watch?

The issue of happiness conferred to others has been studied less, so the answer is unclear, experts said.

While Howell would expect this principle of experiences over possessions to still apply, Gilovich agreed that it may, but also points out that the act of giving or receiving an object as a gift is an experience in itself.

"Gifts of material possessions often become keepsakes and have sentimental value that increase with time, instead of diminishing like most material goods," Gilovich said."

(credit: CNN)

Does your DNA determine how many friends you have on Facebook?

"Always the last one picked for kickball? Never get invites to the hottest parties? Blame Mom and Dad.

That's right, a new study says genes may influence whether or not you're popular. But DNA, or genetic material, shapes more than popularity, according to the research published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It may also play a role in the number of friends we have—and whether we're integral or insignificant members of a social group.

Researchers from Harvard University and the University of California, San Diego, found that genes may be responsible for 46 percent of the variation (or difference) in how popular we are versus other people. Genetics exerts a similar effect on people's varying degrees of connectivity (for example, one person might know many of their friends' pals, but another person may not know any of their friends' other buddies.) And DNA has a significant, but lesser influence, on the difference between where one or another of us is located in a social network.

The scientists based their findings on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill of the influence of health on the social behavior of some 90,000 teens who researchers have been following since 1994. Using information on 552 pairs of twins in the study, the Harvard and U.C. San Diego researchers compared the lists of friends of identical twins with the social circles of same-sex fraternal twins. The networks described by the identical twins resembled one another more than those of the same-sex fraternal twins, suggesting a genetic influence on how people network socially. Twin study designs presume that if identical twins resemble each other more on some trait than fraternal twins do, then genes help explain that trait.

'Your social position in a network is not purely of your own making,' study co-author Nicholas Christakis, a professor of sociology at Harvard University, tells ScientificAmerican.com. 'In a very deep sense, our social life is predestined. It's predestined genetically.

'It's not the only explanation,' he adds. 'But there is a discernible and substantial role of genes in your social network position.'

The study didn’t sort out which genes are enhancing or ruining our social lives. Michigan State University research published last year showed that a mutation in the serotonin receptor gene 5-HT2A was linked to variation in popularity. (Serotonin is a brain chemical that regulates mood, anxiety, depression, sleep and sexuality.) The new study examines the genetics of popularity with a wider lens, examining how much DNA may shape the way we socialize.

There may be evolutionary reasons for the variations in our social connectedness, Christakis says. While it may be advantageous to be in the center of a group when rumors are circulating, he says, you're better off being on its fringes if a disease—not gossip—is spreading. But the study didn’t explore who might benefit from being popular—and who may be lucky to be on the outs.

'We're a social species. We shouldn’t be surprised that some aspects of how we're social depends on genetics,' Christakis says. 'Just like other aspects of your personality of how assertive you are, how risk-averse you are, so does your predilection for having particular kinds of social network architectures' depend on genetics."

(credit: Scientific American)

Image © iStockphoto/Andrew Johnson

Helen Bamber Foundation PSA by JWT Dubai

Two arresting pieces of work by my ex-partners in crime at JWT Dubai - Nizar & Ash. Great work guys! Check it out...





(credit: Nizar Swailem & Ash Chagla @ JWT Dubai)

Atheist bus campaign goes nationwide

"A £140,000 advertising campaign aimed at persuading more people to "come out" as atheists was launched today with a plan to broadcast a message doubting God's existence on the sides of buses, the tube and on screens in central London.

Its slogan – "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" – can already be seen on buses in central London. A total of 200 bendy buses in London and 600 buses across England, Scotland and Wales will carry the slogan from today and tomorrow following a fundraising drive which raised more than £140,000.

The money raised will also pay for 1,000 advertisements on London Underground from Monday. Organisers today unveiled a set of quotes from famous writers and thinkers who endorse the atheist message.

The launch, held today near the Albert memorial, featured speeches by Dawkins, author of The God Delusion; Ariane Sherine, creator of the Atheist Bus Campaign; and Hanne Stinson, from the British Humanist Association.

The fundraising drive was prompted by a suggestion from comedy writer Sherine, who received support from the British Humanist Association (BHA) and atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins.

Sherine, a television comedy writer, suggested the idea in a Guardian Comment is Free blog last June, saying an atheist bus campaign would provide a reassuring counter-message to religious slogans threatening non-Christians with hell and damnation.

Speaking at the launch , Sherine said the sheer number of donations received had demonstrated the strength of feeling in Britain.

She said: "This is a great day for freedom of speech in Britain and I'm really excited and thrilled that the adverts have been approved and I hope that they will make people smile on their way to work.

"I am very glad that we live in a country where people have the freedom to believe in whatever they want."

There has been overwhelming financial support for the project, which exceeded its funding target less than 24 hours after being launched, raising nearly nine times the amount needed to have its posters on buses.

Around £6,000 was needed to run adverts in London but within two days, individuals and organisations had pledged more than £87,000. More than £135,000 has been pledged so far. Today's event will also reveal the next stages of the campaign.

The theology thinktank Theos welcomed the campaign, saying it was a "great way" to get people thinking about God. "The posters will encourage people to consider the most important question we will ever face in our lives. The slogan itself is a great discussion starter. Telling someone 'there's probably no God' is a bit like telling them they've probably remembered to lock their door. It creates the doubt that they might not have."

The success of the British campaign has inspired atheists in the US to run their own advertising slogans in Washington DC. The American Humanist Association launched a bus advertising campaign last November with the slogan, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake", appearing on the sides, rear and insides of the city's 230 buses."

(credit: Guardian)

Eau de Whopper anyone?

“A tasty little present for men - Burger King body spray
by Hadley Freeman


Still can't think what to get him for Christmas? Socks don't seem to cut it any more? Fret no longer because Burger King is here to help.

The mass purveyor of grilled meat is offering, for a limited time, something even better than their usual piles of beef patties. This week, American men were given the chance to smell like their favourite meat snack with the launch of Flame, Burger King's contribution to the perfume market.

The company describes Flame as "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat".

Astonishingly, this elixir costs a mere $3.99 (£2.65). By contrast, one of its competitors, Chanel No 5, for example, costs more than $80.

Flame, a body spray for men, was launched this week online and in a selection of US stores, the list of which can be found on the perfume's website, which is named, appropriately, firemeetsdesire.com.

There, prospective buyers are greeted with what sounds like a melange of Barry White music and an interactive spray can which does not, disappointingly, emit a ray of French fries but morphs into a photograph of scented candles.

Burger King - or "the King" as the company's website refers to it - is not the only celebrity perfume on the market this Christmas.

Kate Moss, for one, will no doubt be putting up a stern fight with her Velvet Hour scent. But the model will surely struggle against a fragrance that has such a noble history: "The Whopper sandwich is America's favourite burger," the website boasts.

"Flame by BK captures the essence of that love and gives it to you. Behold ... now you can set the mood for whatever you're in the mood for." As long as that mood involves meat, presumably.”

(credit: The Guardian)

A case of East Imitates West...Imitating the East.

Keffiyeh Brings Colorful Clash to Beirut

The iconic black and white keffiyeh, or Arab headdress, famously donned by late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat has hit the streets of Beirut in a rainbow of colors -- much to the chagrin of older Palestinians.

Stylish youngsters, both men and women, can be seen in the city's chic cafes and restaurants sporting red, blue, pink, brown and purple versions of the keffiyeh.

Western and Arab tourists are also snapping up the hip item. The trend, however, is seen by many here as an insult to a symbol traditionally linked to the Palestinian cause.

"These colors aren't for us... it's nonsense, it's a fashion show," said Salim Ali Kayd, 74, who has been a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon since 1948, when Israel was created.

"The keffiyeh stands for a person's honor and manhood. It was a rite of passage to wear one upon reaching the age of 18," he added explaining the customs of his generation.

Others like him living in the narrow alleyways of the Shatila refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut are also upset that their national symbol has become a fad.

"Yasser Arafat used to wear it for a reason. It means something," said Kalthoum Ghandour, a 45-year-old Palestinian doctor living in Lebanon.

"It was what the revolutionaries wore to conceal their identity," she added. "This is our revolution, our symbol.

"This trend distorts our heritage."

Shops in Beirut's diverse Christian and Muslim neighborhoods are selling the bright-colored items imported from Syria, Thailand and China.

A backlash against the trend has spread to college campuses in Lebanon, where Facebook groups have sprung up called "Palestinian scarf: Understand it or don't bother wearing it!" and "I refuse to let the keffiyeh become a high fashion statement."

This is not the first time the keffiyeh has been co-opted by others. The garment has come in and out of fashion, with youths in the 1960s and 1970s wearing it as a sign of revolt or sympathy with the Palestinian cause. The scarf has also become a signature item for anti-war activists.

While the latest trend may be more accessory and less ideology -- the keffiyeh's powerful symbolism continues to resonate, and not only among Palestinians.

The issue grabbed headlines in recent months when the Dunkin' Donuts chain came under fire for an online ad that featured an American celebrity chef wearing a paisley patterned scarf that some mistook for a keffiyeh.

The ad was pulled after a conservative U.S. commentator complained that it promoted jihad.

The U.S. clothing store Urban Outfitters this year also stopped selling colored versions of the keffiyeh because of controversy.

"They used to wear it around their necks and now they are wearing it around their waists. What's next?," said Haitham, 28, a Palestinian refugee who did not reveal his last name.

Dana, 25, said she recently purchased a blue version of the keffiyeh and maintains that the garment carries no political symbolism.

"I used to wear the white one when I would go to protests in college," she said. "These ones are a pure fashion statement.

Some young Palestinians, however, are proud to see the craze gather steam.

"I have about 10 of them... The keffiyeh belongs to us no matter its color. I am happy they have become popular," said Ahmed el-Hassan, 22.

(credit: AFP)

What ad people forget is that...

good to keep in mind for your next creative presentation when the client demolishes yet another idea.

(Painting by Harry Simmonds)

Banksy Defends His Guerrilla Graffiti Art

"Even though artwork by the British graffiti artist Banksy is popular with celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguilera, some regard the artist's street works to be vandalism, pure and simple. On Oct. 23, the Council of Westminster in London ordered the removal of a 23 ft (7 m) Banksy mural — reportedly his largest work in central London — claiming that it encourages graffiti.



In an exclusive statement to TIME, the mysterious guerrilla prankster has responded to the council's decision. "I don't know what next door is complaining about — their building is so ugly the 'No Trespassing' sign reads like an insult," the statement reads, referring to Royal Mail, a tenant of the building that has sought the mural's removal. In light of several other recent controversies over Banksy's outdoor works, this removal is further indication of the challenges that can arise when a famous artist uses private property as his canvas..."

(credit: TIME)

Woman arrested for killing virtual reality husband...what's next?!

"A 43-year-old Japanese woman [who] killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said Thursday.

The woman, who is jailed on suspicion of illegally accessing a computer and manipulating electronic data, used his identification and password to log onto popular interactive game "Maple Story" to carry out the virtual murder in mid-May, a police official in northern said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy...

...She has not yet been formally charged, but if convicted could face a prison term of up to five years or a fine up to $5,000..."

(credit: CNN)

Snail Mail proves that 'slow' has value

"How Slow?: In making Real Snail Mail we asked ourselves 'is there a space in our speed obsessed world for a service that takes time?' Overwhelmingly, the answer has been YES! We are now asking ourselves the more interesting question 'how slow?' With emails stacking up at an astounding rate we will soon be bringing more snails into service to cope with demand.

How it works: Our snails are equipped with a miniaturised electronic circuit and antenna, enabling them to be assigned messages. Your message is collected from a despatch centre at one end of their enclosure. Once associated with the tiny electronic chip on the snail's shell your message will be carried around until the snail chances by the drop off point. Here more hardware collects your message and forwards it to its final destination."

(credit: RealSnailMail)

Should Ben & Jerry's use breast milk?

PETA thinks so :) But don't run to your nearest Monoprix or Tesco's yet.

New threat to dairy farmers – ice cream with mother's milk

Animal rights group urges use of human breast milk

By Rachel Shields
Sunday, 28 September 2008

Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's is known for its eccentric flavours – phish food, cookie dough and cherry garcia – but its marketing department would be hard pushed to find any takers for a stomach-churning proposition to make ice cream with human breast milk.

The suggestion comes from an animal rights group which is urging the firm to use milk from nursing mothers instead of cows.

While the idea is enough to provoke shudders of revulsion from your average ice cream lover, dairy farmers reacted angrily to the stunt yesterday, claiming that the group is undermining the dairy industry.

But the animal rights group Peta claims that breast milk would be "better for both consumers and cows", pointing out the nutritional benefits of breast milk and highlighting the animal welfare concerns over dairy farming.

In a letter to Ben & Jerry's co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, it cites the example of chef Hans Locher, who recently announced that he will be serving soups and sauces made from 75 per cent breast milk in his Swiss restaurant. Mr Locher posted adverts in local villages appealing for donors, offering a rate of £3 per 14 ounces (398ml) for their milk.

"Using cows' milk for your ice cream is a hazard to your customers' health. Dairy products have been linked to juvenile diabetes, allergies, constipation, obesity, and prostate and ovarian cancer," wrote Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of Peta.

"Animals will also benefit from the switch to breast milk. Like all mammals, cows only produce milk during and after pregnancy, so to be able to constantly milk them, cows are forcefully impregnated every nine months," wrote Ms Reiman.

While co-founders Mr Cohen and Mr Greenfield are famously environmentally and ethically aware – they established a "Climate Change College" which encourages grass-roots action on climate change, and go by the slogan "Milking happy Cows, Not the Planet" – they baulked at the suggestion. "We applaud [the group's] novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother's milk is best used for her child," said a Ben & Jerry's spokesperson.

And then there is, as Mr Locher found, the problem of supply. As 50 per cent of each 500ml tub of ice cream is made from milk and cream, finding enough human milk to sustain production of Ben & Jerry's would be a challenge.

The suggestion that cows' milk has a detrimental effect on health provoked anger this weekend among dairy farmers, who have been hit by falling prices and the increasing popularity of non-dairy alternatives such as soy milk.

"Dairy foods have been in the diet for thousands of years," said Dr Judith Bryans, director of the Dairy Council. "The reality of chronic diseases is that they are an interaction between genes, the environment and the diet, and these negative stories about dairy are a misrepresentation of science."

(credit: The Independent)

Google's irresistable Chrome?

Google has finally entered the ring into the browser match through its launch of Chrome today. The announcement was made through a comic book specially drawn up by Scott McCloud (best known for Understanding Comics - which I high recommend). Chrome will be available to download in Beta from the Google blog.

(credit: Google blog)

"Fight Club was the beginning"

I don't think there's a simple explanation for what pushes people to gather and ruthlessly brawl like something out of MadMax's Thunderdome. But I do like Tyler Durden's insightfully shrewd monologue in Fight Club: "We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off."

In LA, they must be very, very pissed off. And that all comes to boiling point twice a year at a fight club created by the Dog Brothers where combatants from all over meet up to kick, bite, elbow and draw blood from their opponents.

Their credo says it all really:
"No judges, no referees, no trophies. One rule only: Be friends at the end of the day. This means our goal is that no one spends the night in the hospital. Our goal is that everyone leaves with the IQ with which they came."

So if anyone's in the mood for destroying something ''beautiful'' (like a pretty boy's face) you know where to go now.

(credit: Reuters)

In Saudi, a soap opera is seriously shaking things up

Can a soap opera be so successful that it not only attracts millions of viewers every night, but also double the number of Saudi tourists to Turkey and push jealous husbands to spike the divorce rate? "Noor" is a Turkish soap opera that has taken the Arab world by storm. And in the super conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia, that storm is magnified.

Read on:

"A Turkish soap opera featuring an independent fashion designer and her amazingly supportive and attractive husband is emptying the streets whenever it's on and has more than doubled the number of Saudis visiting Turkey this summer.

Millions of people -- especially women, apparently -- are tuning in nightly to find out whether the couple will stay together or be torn apart by jealousies and old flames.

But "Noor," the story of a multi-generational, upper-class Turkish family, has also sparked a backlash. The show has become the subject of angry Friday sermons in this strict Islamic kingdom, and the country's chief cleric recently issued a fatwa calling it "decadent" and sinful to watch

"Noor" has had such a deep influence because, unlike American or Mexican soap operas broadcast here, it is about a Muslim family living in a Muslim country. The show is also dubbed in an Arabic dialect, not classical Arabic, which makes it easier to understand and feels more intimate to viewers. And then, there's that husband.

The blue-eyed, blond Muhannad, played by Kivanc Tatlitu, a 24-year-old Turkish actor and model, is tall, handsome, romantic, respectful and treats his wife, Noor -- the title character -- as both a love object and an equal.<

"Saudi women fantasize about what they're lacking," said Amira Kashgari, an assistant linguistics professor at King Abdul Aziz University who writes about social issues for al-Watan newspaper.

"They are almost obsessed with this show because of the way he interacts with and treats his wife."

click here to continue article

(credit: Washington Post)

War on the menu in Beirut - literally

"At Buns and Guns you can order a 'Kalashnikov' sandwich from a bullet-shaped menu, prepared by chefs in military fatigues with the roar of explosions as background music."

(credit: Reuters)

Dunkin' Donuts and ''hate couture''

''Dunkin' Donuts and politics go together like … Well, they don't, and that seems to be the problem of late. First, the doughnut franchise served as a hideout for Lebanese Army troops and a CNN correspondent when violence erupted in Beirut last month. Then this week the company found itself smack dab in the center of more political tumult. A recent ad by the doughnut giant was deemed dangerous by a handful of conservative bloggers because of its potential ties to the Arab world. The bloggers went on the attack when they saw spokesgal Rachael Ray wearing what they felt was a kaffiyeh, or Arab headdress, as a neck scarf.''

(credit: Newsweek)

Telescope links London to....New York???

What do you get when you mix Victorian invention with modern-day technology and an eye for art? Would you believe, an underground telescope allowing Londoners to wave hallow to New Yorkers walking their dogs? As of today, a new contraption called ''the Telectroscope'' is open to the public following ...well, years of digging underneath the Atlantic to connect the two cities? "Spectators who step right up will have a real-time, life-size view across the pond 24 hours a day." Sound incredible? That's because it is, in a way. Read more to get the full story. It's a brilliant mix of art and storytelling. Good fun.

(credit: NYT)

Switching lanes

You know that split second when you're waiting for an ATM machine or in traffic where you consider switching lanes? As far as decision-making goes, that has to be one of our more irrational processes. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research looks specifically at why we switch lines at the grocery store. They found out that our decision is linked to our tendency to compare ourselves to the unfortunate people in line behind us. As someone who stood in line for close to 5 hours to see the Sistine Chapel, I can definitely relate.

Pangea Day

Will let the video do the talking. Mark your calendars.

The LadyBag feels with you

As Carrie says, “I'm thinking balls are to men what purses are to women. It's just a little bag, but we feel naked in public without it” (Sex and the City).

I don't know about it being a 'little bag' but these LadyBags deliver a few things way beyond anything that man's anatomy ever could. The LadyBag is a new concept in purses that not only has emoticons that light up according to your mood, but also reminds you when you've forgotten your cell phone or your keys!

The picture shown above might just be the PMS emoticon. Not sure. Thoughts?

(credit: LadyBag Project)