A Scientific Explanation for Why This Wegmans News Makes People So Happy
We may never be able to fully explain why people love Wegmans SO much, but we can put a little science behind why people love this recent Wegmans news so much. Last week, we told you guys that Wegmans and Instacart had expanded their same-day delivery service in the Philly area. Meaning, granted your zip code is within the delivery range (they can’t deliver across state lines, and only deliver in certain areas), you can now shop your favorite grocery store without ever actually, well, going to the store. Needless to say, people were overjoyed at hearing this. And now, as the Atlantic reports, a new study points to why that is.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that buying time by using time-saving services, like a grocery delivery for instance, boosts happiness. Researchers found that 28 percent of participants from the U.S., Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands spent money on time-saving services like ride sharing, grocery delivery and house cleaning. And, for the most part, those who spent money to outsource these time-suck activities had higher life satisfaction than those who didn’t. These results are basically a no-brainer: Being less time-crunched would make you happier, right?
But for those who are weary about technology taking over, um, everything in life, the same study found that this time-saving-happiness equation is only true to a point. The highest levels of spending on time-saving services showed a decrease in happiness, likely because it makes people feel out of control of their own life — which can not only cause stress, but crankiness, too.
So, the lesson friends: Like with just about everything, it’s all about moderation. That said, if grocery shopping mostly feels like a giant time suck to you, ordering to your door might be worth the happiness boost.
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