How does online political content affect how you feel?
PolAlpha is a pilot study at Aalto University's Department of Computer Science. We’re studying the relationship between the content people read on social media and AI chat apps and their mental health and well-being, while testing whether our study methods work in everyday life. Participants should be familiar with Finnish politics, such as the main parties and current political debates, as the surveys ask about them.
- Who
- Aalto students and staff, 18+
- Phone
- Android
- Duration
- 3 months
- Your time
- About 70 min across 3 months
Data is collected by AWARE
The AWARE app is developed by researchers and is only used for research purposes. The data is managed and stored by Aalto Science-IT.
Who can take part
- You study or work at Aalto University.
- You're 18 or older and live in Finland.
- You are familiar with Finnish politics.
- You own and actively use an Android smartphone.
- You have an @aalto.fi email address.We use it to send necessary information about the study.
Taking part, or not taking part, has no effect on your studies, your employment, or any evaluation of your work.
What taking part looks like
Most of the effort is at the start. After that the app runs quietly in the background for three months, until a short exit survey at the end.
Until Month 3, the app collects in the background. There's nothing to do day to day, and you can uninstall it whenever you like.
After Month 3, data collection is over and monetary compensation is processed and sent.
-
1
Register and give consent
Sign up with your @aalto.fi address. You'll read the Information Sheet and Privacy Notice and give your consent online before the surveys or the app start.
-
2
Baseline survey, about 40 minutes
Your opintions about Finnish politics, your mental health and well-being, as well as you backgrounds, phone and media use.
-
3
Install the AWARE app
Installation takes about 5–10 minutes. Follow the guide on this website, or ask for a short session with a project coordinator if you'd like help. Then carry on as usual.
-
4
Exit survey, about 20 minutes
At the end of your three months: how you're feeling now, and feedback on what taking part was like.
Donate your social media data
We will ask whether you are willing to donate your social media data at the end of the study. You can skip this and still take part in everything else.
Download your data export from TikTok, YouTube, Instagram or Bluesky and upload it here. Exports can include data like your watch and search history, likes, comments and follows. Review the export first and remove anything you'd rather not share.
We'll ask for your account names so the export can be linked to your participant ID. Donating earns an up to €10 in monetary compensation for the time it takes.
Monetary compensation of up to €25 is provided for participation, depending on completion of the first month, the exit survey, and keeping the app installed throughout. The optional data donation adds up to €10. Payments have to be reported to the tax authority and handled by HR at Aalto University. These are stored separately from the research data, aren't accessible to the researchers, and are deleted within two weeks of the last monetary compensation payment.
What the app records, and what it never does
Recorded while the app is installed
- Screen text from nine appsTikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Bluesky, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity: whatever text appears on screen while you use them.
- App useWhich apps you open and for how long, and which apps you install.
- Screen and batteryWhen your screen turns on and off, battery level, and your time zone.
- MovementAccelerometer readings.
- LocationWorked out from GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks. Researchers only ever see labels such as home, campus or commute.
- Calls and textsHow many and when, never what was said or written.
- Your devicePhone model and Android version, to check the app works reliably across phones.
Never recorded
- Screenshots
- Text from any other app, including messaging, email, banking, browsers and password fields
- The content of your calls or text messages
- Microphone audio
- Your contacts
- Your photos or gallery
Who can see what
-
Your phone and this website
Data is sent encrypted to Aalto University servers.
-
Aalto Science-IT
Holds your contact details and the key that links them to a random participant ID, separately from the research data. Strips email addresses and other sentitive and protected identifiers you shared.
-
Research team
Works only with your participant ID. Never sees your name, email, identity code, raw location or the key.
-
Published results
Results will be published on group-level findings only.
Your identifying information and research data are kept separately to help reduce the risk of identification.
- Where it's stored
- On secure Aalto University servers, encrypted in transit and at rest.
- What it's used for
- Scientific research only. Never for product development or any commercial purpose.
- How long it's kept
- Research data is deleted five years after the last publication that uses it. Your protected identifiers are deleted when the data collection is completed.
- Dropping out of the study
- You can drop out at any time without giving a reason, through this website or by email.
Register to take part
Registration takes you through the Information Sheet, Privacy Notice and consent form. The surveys and the app only start once you've given consent, and you can stop at any time.
Want help getting set up?
A project coordinator can walk you through installing the app, on the Aalto Otaniemi campus or over Zoom or Teams, at a time that suits you. Sessions aren't recorded.
Questions first? Email polalpha-cs@aalto.fi.