99% Invisible deals with art and architecture, focusing on features that we often fail to notice or think about. Navigate through history with a fresh perspective, discovering new connections all around you. You might learn about the use of sound in the Hannibal TV series or the how the design of Sigmund Freud’s couch influenced his psychoanalysis.

Happier

Listen

Happier is a podcast by Gretchen Rubin, who researches happiness and the habits that lead to it. She and her sister chime in on what makes us happier and how those strategies are working (or not) in their own lives. Each episode, they award a gold star for taking a step toward happiness; e.g., if they said no to something they didn’t have time for (speaking of, see in this issue Can’t say no? 8 ways to take back your time).

The Moth: National Public Radio

Comedy Bang! Bang!: Earwolf

Zero to Travel: Jason Moore

Entrepreneur on Fire: EOFire

Star Talk with Neil deGrasse Tyson: Curved Light Productions

You’re nocial

Uh-oh, nocial alert. “Some students use their smart phone as a way to cope with [uncomfortable] social situations,” says Dr. Fjola Helgadottir, a psychologist at Oxford University, UK. “As a result…you miss out on an opportunity to confront your fear, which is the best way to improve.” In a recent survey by Student Health 101, one in five respondents admitted to checking their phone multiple times on a movie date.

Tips…

• Before your date, wrap a thick rubber band around your phone. If you reach for it, the rubber band will act as a tactile reminder to leave your phone alone.
• “Leave the phone at home. It’s scarier because you don’t have a barrier to hide behind, but it’s worth it,” says Amelia M., a third-year undergraduate at Utah State University. Less drastically, just keep your phone turned off so you’re reminded not to use it except in emergencies.

You’re social

Congrats, you’re social.

Tips…

• Before your date, wrap a thick rubber band around your phone. If you reach for it, the rubber band will act as a tactile reminder to leave your phone alone.
• “Leave the phone at home. It’s scarier because you don’t have a barrier to hide behind, but it’s worth it,” says Amelia M., a third-year undergraduate at Utah State University. Less drastically, just keep your phone turned off so you’re reminded not to use it except in emergencies.

You’re nocial

Guess what, you’re being nocial—you and 30 percent of the students who responded to our survey. Research shows that being around other people in person makes us happier than being alone. When you’re happy, you can make other people happier too, according to a 2008 study by researchers at Harvard University.

Tips…

• Make the change. “Smile at them. Hug your friends when you see them. Be a human, just like humans before the age of smart phones,” says Ann B., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
• Play the phone stack game. “When you’re dining out, everyone can place their phones in the middle of the table. The first person to give in and grab their phone has to pay the tab,” says Taylor F., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Hawaii. Come up with consequences for other situations.

You’re social

And your life is richer for it.

Tips…

• Make the change. “Smile at them. Hug your friends when you see them. Be a human, just like humans before the age of smart phones,” says Ann B., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
• Play the phone stack game. “When you’re dining out, everyone can place their phones in the middle of the table. The first person to give in and grab their phone has to pay the tab,” says Taylor F., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Hawaii. Come up with consequences for other situations.

You’re nocial

Sharing positive experiences in person makes us happier in the long term, according to the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (2012). We don’t get the same level of social support via Facebook, a study in the Public Library of Science journal suggests (2013).

Tips…

• Long distance? Use Skype or FaceTime. “Video calls are often clearer and you can see their live reaction,” says Nicholas T., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles.
• Uninstall a social media app from your phone. You can still log on from your computer, but you won’t be constantly checking it when you’re out.

You’re social

You’re social on this one, like three out of five students in our survey. “Face to face [is best because] you can see emotions. Texting is emotionless, even with emojis,” says Catherine L., a fifth-year undergraduate at the University of Alberta.

Tips…

• Long distance? Use Skype or FaceTime. “Video calls are often clearer and you can see their live reaction,” says Nicholas T., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles.
• Uninstall a social media app from your phone. You can still log on from your computer, but you won’t be constantly checking it when you’re out.

You’re nocial

You’re a nocial night owl. In our survey, 4 in 5 students admitted to texting or checking social media in bed. You know it’s wrecking your sleep, right? And lack of sleep wrecks everything else. “Using a phone or a tablet sends a signal to your brain that says, ‘Hey, this is wake-up time,” says Dr. Shelley Hershner, director of the Collegiate Sleep Disorder Center at the University of Michigan.

Tips…

Place your phone out of reach overnight so both you and it can recharge. Airplane mode muffles notifications but not your alarm.

You’re social

You’re keeping it old school—in the best way.

Tips…

Place your phone out of reach overnight so both you and it can recharge. Airplane mode muffles notifications but not your alarm.

You’re nocial

One in three of our survey respondents chose this answer. Twenty-first century adults make eye contact 30–60 percent of the time during a conversation, according to data from Quantified Communications. To make an emotional connection, we need 60–70 percent eye contact.

Tips…

• Become a phone-free role model. “I have implemented a rule: no gadgets of any kind [in social situations]. I set the example and people are catching on. I’m using this to get over being uncomfortable looking people in the eye and in face-to-face conversation,” says Anna E., a recent graduate of West Liberty University School of Professional Studies, West Virginia.
• “Focus on your eyes in a mirror to practice eye contact. And if you randomly catch your reflection, rather than looking away, look at your eyes for five-plus seconds,” says Amy Nielson, a fourth-year undergraduate at Western Washington University.

You’re social

Keep your eyes on the prize. You’re being social.

Note: If holding eye contact is very distracting or uncomfortable for you, a momentary eye-connection every couple of minutes helps the other person know that you’re still part of the conversation.

Tips…

• Become a phone-free role model. “I have implemented a rule: no gadgets of any kind [in social situations]. I set the example and people are catching on. I’m using this to get over being uncomfortable looking people in the eye and in face-to-face conversation,” says Anna E., a recent graduate of West Liberty University School of Professional Studies, West Virginia.
• “Focus on your eyes in a mirror to practice eye contact. And if you randomly catch your reflection, rather than looking away, look at your eyes for five-plus seconds,” says Amy Nielson, a fourth-year undergraduate at Western Washington University.

You’re nocial

Definitely nocial, like two in five students who took our survey. In a 2013 study, more than 80 percent of students acknowledged that their gadgets interfere with their learning, and one in four said this hurts their grades, according to the Journal of Media Education.

Tips…

• Start simple. “Always say one word, even if it’s hello. It breaks the ice. Just ask how their day is going,” says Melissa W., a third-year undergraduate at the University of Saskatchewan. Before-class mingling can help you make friends in class.
• Remove the temptation: “Leave your phone in the car charging, or put it in a pocket you don’t normally carry it in, and resist the urge to pull it out. After a while, your phone separation anxiety will go away,” says Tate F., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of North Dakota.

You’re social

You’re a double winner, socially and academically.

Tips…

• Start simple. “Always say one word, even if it’s hello. It breaks the ice. Just ask how their day is going,” says Melissa W., a third-year undergraduate at the University of Saskatchewan. Before-class mingling can help you make friends in class.
• Remove the temptation: “Leave your phone in the car charging, or put it in a pocket you don’t normally carry it in, and resist the urge to pull it out. After a while, your phone separation anxiety will go away,” says Tate F., a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of North Dakota.

The bored and brilliant challenge: Note to Self

App to control smart phone use: Mobifolio

Use mindfulness to be more present: Harvard Pilgrim

Free online test for social anxiety: Columbia University

Apps for phone control: Rasmussen College

Cell phone etiquette on campus: Summer Discovery