Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about participating in the Digital Life Project
How long does this take?
About 30 minutes total, spread across a few sessions. The survey takes 5 minutes. Some data exports are instant; others take 1-3 days to arrive from the platform.
What is this research studying?
We're studying how people use digital platforms like ChatGPT, social media, and streaming services. The goal is to better understand digital behavior and inform policy conversations about technology.
What happens to my personal information?
Personal details (names, emails, phone numbers) are automatically removed before we see anything. For most platforms, this happens directly on your device. For ChatGPT, redaction happens securely on our server. You review the redacted version before submitting. We never see your original data. See our privacy page or read the full privacy policy.
Can I withdraw my data after submitting?
Contact us at normal-lab@uchicago.edu to request data deletion. Note that once data is anonymized and aggregated, it may not be possible to identify and remove individual contributions.
Who has access to my data?
Only the approved academic researchers listed on our team page. Your data is never sold or shared with third parties.
Questions?
Contact our research team at normal-lab@uchicago.edu