Nick Ballou
@nballou.bsky.social
Postdoc at the Oxford Internet Institute - video games, mental health, open research, theory generation.
Pinned
Nick Ballou
@nballou.bsky.social
· Jun 3
I proposed to my girlfriend last weekend, and even managed to slip in a ggplot documenting the 220k+ km we've traveled together over the years!
hard to say if it was because of the figure or in spite of it, but she did say yes
hard to say if it was because of the figure or in spite of it, but she did say yes
Incredible interview with the Roblox CEO, immediately combative and somehow in favor of implementing prediction markets for children.
I'm generally supportive of their new age assurance safety features, but without independent auditing, my trust remains very low.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/p...
I'm generally supportive of their new age assurance safety features, but without independent auditing, my trust remains very low.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/p...
We Asked Roblox’s C.E.O. About Child Safety. It Got Tense.
www.nytimes.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Incredible interview with the Roblox CEO, immediately combative and somehow in favor of implementing prediction markets for children.
I'm generally supportive of their new age assurance safety features, but without independent auditing, my trust remains very low.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/p...
I'm generally supportive of their new age assurance safety features, but without independent auditing, my trust remains very low.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/p...
Reposted by Nick Ballou
📬 Pub alert
Do effects of digital disconnection interventions translate to well-being benefits in *daily life*?
Our new ESM study concludes: yes but no... kinda 👽🔋
@klingelhoefer.bsky.social @adrianmeier.bsky.social
Out now in Communication Research
doi.org/10.1177/0093...
Do effects of digital disconnection interventions translate to well-being benefits in *daily life*?
Our new ESM study concludes: yes but no... kinda 👽🔋
@klingelhoefer.bsky.social @adrianmeier.bsky.social
Out now in Communication Research
doi.org/10.1177/0093...
November 11, 2025 at 3:51 PM
📬 Pub alert
Do effects of digital disconnection interventions translate to well-being benefits in *daily life*?
Our new ESM study concludes: yes but no... kinda 👽🔋
@klingelhoefer.bsky.social @adrianmeier.bsky.social
Out now in Communication Research
doi.org/10.1177/0093...
Do effects of digital disconnection interventions translate to well-being benefits in *daily life*?
Our new ESM study concludes: yes but no... kinda 👽🔋
@klingelhoefer.bsky.social @adrianmeier.bsky.social
Out now in Communication Research
doi.org/10.1177/0093...
Reposted by Nick Ballou
NEW PREPRINT 💡
Together with @dougaparry.bsky.social, I just published a new preprint experimentally examining how specific normative cues on social media shape self-disclosure using an innovative simulation approach.
Link: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Read on for more information (1/9) 👇
Together with @dougaparry.bsky.social, I just published a new preprint experimentally examining how specific normative cues on social media shape self-disclosure using an innovative simulation approach.
Link: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Read on for more information (1/9) 👇
November 11, 2025 at 12:26 PM
NEW PREPRINT 💡
Together with @dougaparry.bsky.social, I just published a new preprint experimentally examining how specific normative cues on social media shape self-disclosure using an innovative simulation approach.
Link: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Read on for more information (1/9) 👇
Together with @dougaparry.bsky.social, I just published a new preprint experimentally examining how specific normative cues on social media shape self-disclosure using an innovative simulation approach.
Link: osf.io/preprints/ps...
Read on for more information (1/9) 👇
American TV commercials have always been unhinged but I've never felt like so much of a foreigner as this past visit home. Just non-stop sports gambling and pharmaceuticals, on broadcasts like the world series with millions of children watching. A ticking time bomb with a very short fuse.
November 9, 2025 at 6:51 PM
American TV commercials have always been unhinged but I've never felt like so much of a foreigner as this past visit home. Just non-stop sports gambling and pharmaceuticals, on broadcasts like the world series with millions of children watching. A ticking time bomb with a very short fuse.
I love this so much, and will absolutely being using squad_up() instead of group_by() and main_character() instead of pull() from now on, reviewers don't @ me
hadley.github.io/genzplyr/
hadley.github.io/genzplyr/
dplyr but make it bussin fr fr no cap
`genzplyr` is an alternative syntax for `dplyr` that replaces boring old function names with GenZ slang. Your data wrangling is about to hit different.
hadley.github.io
November 7, 2025 at 8:03 AM
I love this so much, and will absolutely being using squad_up() instead of group_by() and main_character() instead of pull() from now on, reviewers don't @ me
hadley.github.io/genzplyr/
hadley.github.io/genzplyr/
Reposted by Nick Ballou
New release of PowerLMM.js! Browser-based power analysis for longitudinal models with dropout.
Now includes:
- Power analysis summary report
- Reproducible & shareable configs (URL/JSON)
- Calculations validated against R
- Hypothesis region visualization
powerlmmjs.rpsychologist.com
Now includes:
- Power analysis summary report
- Reproducible & shareable configs (URL/JSON)
- Calculations validated against R
- Hypothesis region visualization
powerlmmjs.rpsychologist.com
October 28, 2025 at 2:02 PM
New release of PowerLMM.js! Browser-based power analysis for longitudinal models with dropout.
Now includes:
- Power analysis summary report
- Reproducible & shareable configs (URL/JSON)
- Calculations validated against R
- Hypothesis region visualization
powerlmmjs.rpsychologist.com
Now includes:
- Power analysis summary report
- Reproducible & shareable configs (URL/JSON)
- Calculations validated against R
- Hypothesis region visualization
powerlmmjs.rpsychologist.com
Reposted by Nick Ballou
I am hiring PhD candidates to study the psychology of attention & technology use at @tilburg-university.bsky.social.
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
October 23, 2025 at 3:04 PM
I am hiring PhD candidates to study the psychology of attention & technology use at @tilburg-university.bsky.social.
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
We're looking for motivated & curious scholars with expertise in cognitive psychology and statistics, and offer a friendly work environment with great terms & benefits.
tiu.nu/22989
is this a separate list from a normal to-do list, or you just consciously order your todos by priority from time to time?
October 13, 2025 at 9:37 AM
is this a separate list from a normal to-do list, or you just consciously order your todos by priority from time to time?
yes, the menial sense of accomplishment from productive procrastination definitely sustains this trick I'm playing on myself! Worth a shot to try blocking different half days for it.
October 13, 2025 at 9:36 AM
yes, the menial sense of accomplishment from productive procrastination definitely sustains this trick I'm playing on myself! Worth a shot to try blocking different half days for it.
oh this looks really interesting, thanks for sharing!
October 13, 2025 at 9:34 AM
oh this looks really interesting, thanks for sharing!
As a PhD student, one of my most adaptive habits was doing any <30m task immediately, to clear time for focused work.
The problem is, now <30m tasks could fill most work days, but I can't shake the habit - I want the peace of mind before undertaking chunky work. How do other people handle this?
The problem is, now <30m tasks could fill most work days, but I can't shake the habit - I want the peace of mind before undertaking chunky work. How do other people handle this?
October 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM
As a PhD student, one of my most adaptive habits was doing any <30m task immediately, to clear time for focused work.
The problem is, now <30m tasks could fill most work days, but I can't shake the habit - I want the peace of mind before undertaking chunky work. How do other people handle this?
The problem is, now <30m tasks could fill most work days, but I can't shake the habit - I want the peace of mind before undertaking chunky work. How do other people handle this?
Reposted by Nick Ballou
New! Did you know gaming can improve your mental health? Watch @nballou.bsky.social @mentalhealthoii.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk explaining how gaming can lift your mood in this new film from BBC Bitesize. #gaming bit.ly/4pEKWYQ
Why gaming can be good for your mental health - BBC Bitesize
Gaming can positively impact mental health balancing mood, help build social connections and provide a safe space to explore identity.
bit.ly
September 22, 2025 at 10:28 AM
New! Did you know gaming can improve your mental health? Watch @nballou.bsky.social @mentalhealthoii.bsky.social @oii.ox.ac.uk explaining how gaming can lift your mood in this new film from BBC Bitesize. #gaming bit.ly/4pEKWYQ
Reposted by Nick Ballou
🚨 New Preprint 🚨
Prolonged Isolation is associated with an increased behavioural sensitivity to ‘Likes’ on social media.
🧵
Social media rewards are inherently social—but does posting change during social isolation, when in-person social rewards are limited?
It turns out, yes!
Prolonged Isolation is associated with an increased behavioural sensitivity to ‘Likes’ on social media.
🧵
Social media rewards are inherently social—but does posting change during social isolation, when in-person social rewards are limited?
It turns out, yes!
September 16, 2025 at 11:19 AM
🚨 New Preprint 🚨
Prolonged Isolation is associated with an increased behavioural sensitivity to ‘Likes’ on social media.
🧵
Social media rewards are inherently social—but does posting change during social isolation, when in-person social rewards are limited?
It turns out, yes!
Prolonged Isolation is associated with an increased behavioural sensitivity to ‘Likes’ on social media.
🧵
Social media rewards are inherently social—but does posting change during social isolation, when in-person social rewards are limited?
It turns out, yes!
Reposted by Nick Ballou
Annoyed by gross/sexist/AI/... slop in mobile game ads?
Now is the time to write about it!
Submit to @acmgames.bsky.social Special Issue on Game Advertising, submission deadline Oct 31.
All details here: dl.acm.org/journal/game...
Now is the time to write about it!
Submit to @acmgames.bsky.social Special Issue on Game Advertising, submission deadline Oct 31.
All details here: dl.acm.org/journal/game...
GAMES: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE | ACM Digital Library
Games: Research and Practice offers a lighthouse for games research – a central reference point that defines the state of the art on games and playable media across academic research and industry practice. Inclusive in community, discipline, method, and game form, it publishes major reviews, tutorials, and advances on games and playable media that are both practically useful and grounded in robust evidence and argument, alongside case studies, opinions, and dialogues on new developments that will change games. It embraces open science and scholarship and actively champions new and underrepresented voices in games and playable media.
dl.acm.org
September 9, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Annoyed by gross/sexist/AI/... slop in mobile game ads?
Now is the time to write about it!
Submit to @acmgames.bsky.social Special Issue on Game Advertising, submission deadline Oct 31.
All details here: dl.acm.org/journal/game...
Now is the time to write about it!
Submit to @acmgames.bsky.social Special Issue on Game Advertising, submission deadline Oct 31.
All details here: dl.acm.org/journal/game...
Reposted by Nick Ballou
I wrote a piece for the Guardian games newsletter this week on my PhD research into preserving play experiences, and why I think that the most archaeological games are those that that actually make you *think* like one 🏺
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/s...
Forget Tomb Raider and Uncharted, there’s a new generation of games about archaeology – sort of
In this week’s newsletter: an archaeologist (and gamer) on why we love to walk around finding objects in-game and in real life
www.theguardian.com
September 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I wrote a piece for the Guardian games newsletter this week on my PhD research into preserving play experiences, and why I think that the most archaeological games are those that that actually make you *think* like one 🏺
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/games/2025/s...
Reposted by Nick Ballou
We are about a month away from releasing a complete refresh of the OSF user interface. The team has been working on this for a very long time, and we are very excited to be able to share it soon. A preview picture:
September 4, 2025 at 9:57 PM
We are about a month away from releasing a complete refresh of the OSF user interface. The team has been working on this for a very long time, and we are very excited to be able to share it soon. A preview picture:
Reposted by Nick Ballou
To investigate media effects, do we have to think more clearly about time ⌚? Our new publication in the 🎉*Journal of Communication*🎉 investigates how our conceptualizations of time can affect our conclusions: doi.org/10.1093/joc/... (1/6)
Possible futures all at once: time frame and time lag in short-term longitudinal media effects research on well-being
Abstract. When assessing media effects, we seldom consider how they change over time. Especially with the prevalence of smartphone use as short-lived, frag
doi.org
August 22, 2025 at 10:03 AM
To investigate media effects, do we have to think more clearly about time ⌚? Our new publication in the 🎉*Journal of Communication*🎉 investigates how our conceptualizations of time can affect our conclusions: doi.org/10.1093/joc/... (1/6)
congratulations! 🎉🎉 absolutely love the earrings
August 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
congratulations! 🎉🎉 absolutely love the earrings
Reposted by Nick Ballou
Kids These Days...behavior problems aren't changing.
In over 418,000 children from nationally-representative samples, child behavior problems are pretty similar as in the 1980s, with most changes being improvements, not declines.
Our work led by Zsofia Takacs
#psych #phdsky
osf.io/63egm_v1/dow...
In over 418,000 children from nationally-representative samples, child behavior problems are pretty similar as in the 1980s, with most changes being improvements, not declines.
Our work led by Zsofia Takacs
#psych #phdsky
osf.io/63egm_v1/dow...
August 14, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Kids These Days...behavior problems aren't changing.
In over 418,000 children from nationally-representative samples, child behavior problems are pretty similar as in the 1980s, with most changes being improvements, not declines.
Our work led by Zsofia Takacs
#psych #phdsky
osf.io/63egm_v1/dow...
In over 418,000 children from nationally-representative samples, child behavior problems are pretty similar as in the 1980s, with most changes being improvements, not declines.
Our work led by Zsofia Takacs
#psych #phdsky
osf.io/63egm_v1/dow...
I strive to be an inbox zero person so email snoozing is a godsend, but there's no worse feeling than receiving an email I didn't want to deal with, snoozed, and promptly forgot about...for the second time.
August 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM
I strive to be an inbox zero person so email snoozing is a godsend, but there's no worse feeling than receiving an email I didn't want to deal with, snoozed, and promptly forgot about...for the second time.
The amount of cabbage contained in a single cabbage amazes me every time. Like, I understand why people used to havd 8 children because that's how many I'd need to finish one of these damn things
July 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The amount of cabbage contained in a single cabbage amazes me every time. Like, I understand why people used to havd 8 children because that's how many I'd need to finish one of these damn things
for the first time in its 83-year modern history, the phrase "peer reviews" appeared in today's NYT crossword! (seemingly one of the few science-friendly institutions the US has left.)
The singular form has appeared one other time, in 2012.
(No screenshot lest I spoil more than one answer)
The singular form has appeared one other time, in 2012.
(No screenshot lest I spoil more than one answer)
July 17, 2025 at 9:35 AM
for the first time in its 83-year modern history, the phrase "peer reviews" appeared in today's NYT crossword! (seemingly one of the few science-friendly institutions the US has left.)
The singular form has appeared one other time, in 2012.
(No screenshot lest I spoil more than one answer)
The singular form has appeared one other time, in 2012.
(No screenshot lest I spoil more than one answer)
participatory DAGs + careful missing data handling + target pop weighting on this topic? be still my heart 🔥
July 14, 2025 at 8:37 AM
participatory DAGs + careful missing data handling + target pop weighting on this topic? be still my heart 🔥
Reposted by Nick Ballou
We have a ✨NEW PREPRINT✨! Using data from the @clscohorts.bsky.social Millennium Cohort Study and linked healthcare records, we tested the association between social media use and psychiatric diagnoses in secondary care in young people in England. This is still a work in progress - feedback welcome!
Characterising the longitudinal relationship between social media use and psychiatric diagnoses in secondary care in adolescents in England: https://osf.io/87cze
July 14, 2025 at 5:59 AM
We have a ✨NEW PREPRINT✨! Using data from the @clscohorts.bsky.social Millennium Cohort Study and linked healthcare records, we tested the association between social media use and psychiatric diagnoses in secondary care in young people in England. This is still a work in progress - feedback welcome!
Reposted by Nick Ballou
As a neurologist, I see the term "dopamine" everywhere: dopamine fasting, dopamine hits, dopamine culture. It's become a cultural shorthand for pleasure.
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠
July 6, 2025 at 8:11 PM
As a neurologist, I see the term "dopamine" everywhere: dopamine fasting, dopamine hits, dopamine culture. It's become a cultural shorthand for pleasure.
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠
But the real story is far more complex and fascinating. Here’s a thread on what we actually know 🧠