Submit a chapter proposal for World Happiness Report 2026
World Happiness Report 2026 will focus on the relationship between social media and subjective wellbeing, featuring a chapter from Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation.
We encourage researchers from around the world to submit their own chapter proposals before the deadline of Sunday 15 June.
Background
The World Happiness Report is the world’s foremost publication on global wellbeing, reflecting a worldwide demand for more attention on happiness as the basis for government policy. Each year, the report highlights the state of happiness in the world and shows how the science of wellbeing explains personal and national variations in happiness.
The report is published by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an independent editorial board.
Since the first report in 2012, the editors have invited a select group of researchers to contribute chapters on a wide range of topics related to the science of wellbeing. Following a successful open call for WHR 2025, we are repeating the same process for WHR 2026.
Theme
The theme for WHR 2026 is Social Media and Wellbeing.
In WHR 2024, we presented evidence of a concerning decline in the wellbeing of young people in Western industrialised countries. There has been much debate about the reasons for this downward trend, with many competing theories and policy recommendations. However, one explanation has captured public and political attention more than any other: social media.
In 2024, Jonathan Haidt – a social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business – published The Anxious Generation, arguing that the decline in youth wellbeing is driven by a transition from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood. The book has been a best-seller and sparked heated debate, both in academia and the wider world.
The editors of the World Happiness Report have followed this debate closely, concerned that rigorous science was being overshadowed by shallow media narratives. For WHR 2026, we see an opportunity to bring all sides of the debate together to establish the facts, clarify disagreements, and provide decision-makers with a balanced assessment of what we know, what we don’t know, and what should be done.
To kick-start this process, the editors asked Prof Haidt to summarise his core arguments. He has done so in this Google Document, which you may read, but please do not quote from it or link to it publicly. It is intended only to help you write your proposal. Over the coming months, Haidt and his co-author Zach Rausch will develop this preliminary version into a chapter for WHR 2026, which will be published on 20 March.
We encourage researchers from around the world to respond to Haidt’s arguments and present their own evidence on the links between social media and subjective wellbeing. In particular, we are seeking contributions that:
- Focus on subjective wellbeing outcomes, not just negative mental health measures.
- Bring a more international focus, rather than a narrow focus on a small group of countries.
- Approach the topic with an open mind and a collaborative spirit.
How to submit a proposal
Proposals must be uploaded as a PDF file via this form by the end of the day on Sunday 15 June.
We welcome proposals that present original research or summarise a broader line of research.
Your proposal should not exceed one A4 page (not including references) and should contain:
- A precise research question that is relevant to the theme.
- A summary of the datasets and methodologies you will use to answer this question.
- For review pieces, a description of the existing literature you are seeking to synthesise.
- Details of any relevant new findings and how they relate to the existing evidence.
- The names and affiliations of the author team
Key dates
Sunday 15 June: Deadline for chapter proposals
Early July: Editors confirm selected proposals
Sunday 21 September: Deadline for first drafts
Early October: A collaborative workshop to discuss the drafts (online/in-person TBD)
Sunday 4 January: Deadline for final manuscripts
Friday 20 March: Publication of World Happiness Report 2026
Contact us
If you have any questions, please contact Barry Grimes, WHR Production Editor, at info@worldhappiness.report