People’s stated versus enacted preferences are often misaligned. For example, people may wish to eat healthier, work out more often, or commit themselves to hobbies – but do not always live up to these goals. In the personal informatics literature, when people do not enact their stated goals, missed outcomes can lead to negative ruminations and task abandonment.

This project will bring these principles to the social media, news, and information space. On platforms like TikTok, competing desires for entertainment, productivity, and informedness can come into conflict. People may appreciate social media’s ability to distract, but indulging in prolonged social media binges could leave people unsatisfied or listless. Additionally, people may rely on social media to help them stay informed about current events, but prolonged exposure to negative news headlines can lead to information overload and news avoidance. What are healthy models for engaging with online social platforms in the modern information age?