I feel a sort of embarrassment on account of this marketing angle. The concept of digital wellbeing is a paradox. Yuck.
No not really. Physical and mental wellbeing is linked to financial wellbeing. It makes sense for Google to want their customers to feel happier and healthier because they can be more productive, earn more money and ultimately spend that money on products that Google advertises.
The less cynical view is that Google is made of people, and people generally want to do good. Perhaps there are simply some influential people in the org that are interested in these kinds of things.
is this an honest question?
an alcoholic while drunk might "feel happier" while not being happier. a drug addict might "feel happier" while high, but not be happier.
I think great great gp is using "feel[ing] happier" in the sense of achieving higher baseline happiness, not maximizing the "happiness level" of an instant.
I might be misreading who you mean by "great great gp", but I don't think scottie_m thinks that google is raising the happiness baseline. At least that's not how I interpret
> it’s enough for the perception to exist without the reality for Google’s purposes.
Anyway, that's enough speculation about speculation for me for one day.
> It makes sense for Google to want their customers to feel happier and healthier because they can be more productive, earn more money and ultimately spend that money on products that Google advertises.
(emphasis added)
Assholes still think they're saving the world somehow.
Some of us see the destruction of this culture thingy as a good thing and are truly rejoycing now, ya know!