Spotify and Oxford University set out to measure the true strength of our digital habits by combining self-reported surveys with real, permissioned mobile behavior data from MFour’s Surveys On The Go panel. In this study, “Quantifying digital habits,” they compare what people say about their app use with what they actually do across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more.
The research shows that some apps build habits as strong as offline behaviors like regular smoking. It’s a sharp reminder that decisions about engagement, screen time, and ‘addictive’ design need to be grounded in actual behavioral data – not just self-report.
👉 Read the full open-access study in EPJ Data Science
Quantifying digital habits – Spotify & Oxford with MFour data
Study conducted by Spotify and Oxford University using MFour Surveys On The Go data.
