Happier.com helps consumers raise happiness level via mobile
March 4, 2009
Overall happiness measurement
Happier.com, a Web site created to help users measure, track and improve their level of happiness, has released a mobile application for the iPhone.
Users of happier.com's Gratitude Journal are directed to make a daily entry of three positive events that happen each day. A simple 24-question assessment then informs the users of their happiness score. "The strategy behind the iPhone app is to help people measure, track and improve their happiness using their mobile device," said Andrew J. Rosenthal, vice president of Happier.com. "Happier.com works with top scientists, drawing on discoveries from the field of positive psychology.
"Through simple Web-based exercises, users are able to improve the amount of positive emotion, engagement and meaning in their lives," he said. "Over 10,000 people have begun using Happier.com, and from the Philippines to Philadelphia, the response has been fantastic.
The new Happier.com mobile application includes an introduction by internationally-renowned happiness expert and University of Pennsylvania professor, Dr. Martin Seligman. Users can track milestones and increase their happiness over time using the Gratitude Journal.
"The way humans are wired, when things go well, we tend to forget them. When things go badly we remember them," Dr. Seligman said in a statement. "The more you pay attention to things going well, by writing them down as in the gratitude journal, the more positive emotions you'll experience."
Be happier
The Gratitude Journal guides each user through features that measure current happiness, display the six most recent happiness scores and create a journal including a summary of happiness milestones and achievements.
The application can be downloaded from the iTunes AppStore onto either an iPhone or iTouch device.
"Additionally, we've found that many people are discovering happier.com after downloading the iPhone app," Mr. Rosenthal said. "From a business perspective, the app is both a service to our users and a marketing tool to reach potential users."
According to research, almost 70 percent of people report that they want to be happier.
"Today, we are all under increased pressures and stress," Mr. Rosenthal said. "We are looking to improve the things we still have under our control such as our relationships, our emotions and our ability to enjoy the smaller things in life.
"Happier.com gives people the tools to better confront adversities and be resilience in the face of everyday challenges," he said. "The site is being used by over 10,000 people from around the world. Many users are well-educated women aged 30-55, with an interest in self-improvement and science."