Are Creative Entrepreneurs Happier Than Status-Seekers? Here's What the Study Finds

A study published in the Journal of Business Venturing examines how entrepreneurs’ personal values and the cultural values of the regions where they operate are associated with their wellbeing, based on data from 3,038 entrepreneurs across Europe.

The study, authored by Pierre-Jean Hanard, Ute Stephan, and Uta K. Bindl of King’s Business School at King’s College London in the United Kingdom, analyzes responses from entrepreneurs working in 143 regions across 18 European countries. It draws on data from the European Social Survey and was available online in October 2025, with the journal issue dated 2026.

What the study examined

The research focuses on whether two broad types of personal values are linked to entrepreneurs’ wellbeing. These values are defined using established psychological frameworks. The first is openness to change, which includes valuing independence, creativity, new ideas, and personal freedom. The second is self enhancement, which includes valuing achievement, status, influence, and material success.

The study also examines regional cultural values, specifically cultural autonomy and cultural egalitarianism, to assess whether alignment between personal values and regional culture is associated with different wellbeing outcomes.

Wellbeing is measured in three ways. Positive wellbeing is assessed through life satisfaction and engagement in daily activities. Negative wellbeing is assessed through self reported depressive symptoms.

How the research was conducted

The authors use multilevel statistical analysis to account for both individual level factors and regional context. Personal values and wellbeing measures come from individual survey responses, while regional cultural values are calculated by aggregating responses from the wider population in each region. The analysis follows established methods for examining value alignment, including response surface analysis.

Key findings

The study finds that higher openness to change among entrepreneurs is associated with higher life satisfaction and engagement and lower levels of depressive symptoms. In contrast, higher self-enhancement values among entrepreneurs are associated with lower life satisfaction and engagement, and higher levels of depressive symptoms.

The findings show that alignment between personal values and regional culture is associated with differences in wellbeing in some cases. Entrepreneurs who value openness to change show higher positive wellbeing and lower psychological distress when they operate in regions where cultural autonomy is also high. The study finds initial evidence of alignment effects for openness to change, but not for self-enhancement values.

Commenting on the study, Co-author Professor Ute Stephan, highlighted that: "Entrepreneurship allows people to express what they care about, yet some of these core motivations can be draining." Adding further, "It’s important for entrepreneurs to know that what draws them into entrepreneurship may also push them towards burnout."

Why the findings matter

The authors argue that the results help clarify how personal values are associated with wellbeing in entrepreneurship, an area that has received increasing research attention. The study highlights that values commonly linked to entrepreneurial activity may relate differently to positive and negative aspects of wellbeing.

The authors also note that entrepreneurship is shaped not only by individual characteristics but also by the cultural environment in which entrepreneurs operate. By examining both levels together, the study responds to gaps identified in earlier research that focused mainly on individual factors.

Limitations noted by the authors

The study is limited to European countries and relies on self reported survey data. Because the study is based on cross-sectional survey data, the findings indicate associations rather than causal relationships. The data are specific to conditions at the time of the 2012 survey and may not capture changes over time or in other regions of the world.

Source

The study appears in the Journal of Business Venturing, an academic journal published by Elsevier. It is available as an open access article.

Image: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash

Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed/fact-checked, edited, and published by humans.

Read next: Global AI Adoption Reaches 16.3% in 2025 as North-South Divide Widens

by Ayaz Khan via Digital Information World

Global AI Adoption Reaches 16.3% in 2025 as North-South Divide Widens

The Microsoft AI Economy Institute released its AI Diffusion Report 2025 on January 8, 2026, tracking the use of generative AI tools worldwide. The study measures AI adoption as the share of consumers who used a generative AI product during the reported period. This metric is based on aggregated and anonymized Microsoft telemetry data, adjusted for differences in operating system and device-market share, internet penetration, and country populations.

According to the report, 16.3% of the global population used generative AI tools in the second half of 2025, up from 15.1% in the first half, representing an increase of 1.2 percentage points. This means roughly one in six people globally are now using these technologies.

The report highlights a growing disparity between regions. In the Global North, 24.7% of the working-age population used AI tools in H2 2025, compared to 14.1% in the Global South. The gap between the two regions widened from 9.8 percentage points in H1 to 10.6 percentage points in H2 2025. AI adoption in the Global North grew nearly twice as fast as in the Global South during this period.

At the country level, the United Arab Emirates leads, with 64.0% of the working-age population using AI, up from 59.4% in the first half of the year. Singapore follows at 60.9%, with Norway (46.4%), Ireland (44.6%), France (44.0%), and Spain (41.8%) completing the top six.

South Korea posted the largest ranking jump, moving from 25th to 18th place globally. Its adoption increased from 25.9% to 30.7%, representing the largest national gain in the reporting period. The United States has an adoption rate of 28.3%, falling from 23rd to 24th position, while in H2 2025 China reached 16.3%, India 15.7%, and Japan 19.1%. At the lower end, Cambodia recorded the smallest adoption at 5.1%.

Economy	H1 2025 AI Diffusion	H2 2025 AI Diffusion
United Arab Emirates	59.40%	64.00%
Singapore	58.60%	60.90%
Norway	45.30%	46.40%
Ireland	41.70%	44.60%
France	40.90%	44.00%
Spain	39.70%	41.80%
New Zealand	37.60%	40.50%
Netherlands	36.30%	38.90%
United Kingdom	36.40%	38.90%
Qatar	35.70%	38.30%
Laos	6.00%	6.70%
Armenia	6.20%	6.60%
Sri Lanka	6.20%	6.60%
Uzbekistan	5.70%	6.30%
Rwanda	6.00%	6.30%
Cuba	5.70%	6.10%
Afghanistan	5.10%	5.60%
Tajikistan	5.10%	5.60%
Turkmenist-an	5.10%	5.60%
Cambodia	4.60%	5.10%

The report notes that of the ten countries with the largest adoption gains, all are classified as high-income economies, underscoring that recent adoption growth remains concentrated in nations with established digital infrastructure.

Microsoft emphasizes that no single metric is perfect. The AI Economy Institute continues refining its measurement of AI diffusion globally and expects to complement its current metric with additional indicators as they become available.

All in all, the findings show that while global AI adoption is rising, the benefits are unevenly distributed, with high-income countries and digitally advanced regions leading the growth. Bridging this divide remains a key challenge as AI usage expands worldwide.

Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans.

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• YouTube Updates Search Filters, Removes Some Sorting Options

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by Asim BN via Digital Information World

YouTube Updates Search Filters, Removes Some Sorting Options

YouTube has updated its search filter system, introducing new labels and options while removing several existing sorting features, according to an announcement posted on 8th January 2026 by Hank from TeamYouTube.

The changes affect how users filter and prioritize search results on the platform.

What Changed

YouTube added a Shorts filter under the Type menu, allowing users to choose between short-form videos and longer videos when searching.

The “Sort By” menu has been renamed to “Prioritize.” Within this Prioritize menu, the former “View count” option is now labeled “Popularity.” YouTube said this option uses view count and other relevance signals, such as watch time, to rank videos for a specific search query.

According to TeamYouTube, two filters were removed:

• “Upload Date – Last Hour”

• “Sort by Rating”

In the previous version of YouTube’s search filters, users could also sort results directly by Upload date, View count, or Rating, and could filter videos uploaded in the last hour (but it is not the case anymore).

In the updated version, the Upload Date section now only offers Today, This week, This month, and This year. The Prioritize section now contains only Relevance and Popularity, and the “Sort by Upload date” option is no longer available as a sorting method.

Why YouTube Made the Changes

TeamYouTube said the filter menu was simplified to make the search experience more intuitive. The company stated that some options were removed because they were not working as expected and had led to user complaints (YouTube did not provide specific examples of the issues in the announcement.).

YouTube also said users can still find recent videos using the remaining Upload Date filters and can find widely viewed content using the Popularity option.

User Responses

Many users in the comment section expressed dissatisfaction with the removal of the “Sort by Upload date” and “Last Hour” options.

Several said they relied on chronological sorting to find newly uploaded content. Others said the new system makes it harder to locate recent videos because results are no longer ordered strictly by upload time.

Some users asked for a recency option to be added to the Prioritize menu. Others said the current filters return unrelated or older content when searching for recent uploads.

A smaller number of users thanked YouTube for the update and welcomed the changes.

YouTube’s Position

In the announcement, TeamYouTube invited users to share feedback and directed them to the Help Center for more information on using search filters. No additional responses addressing the specific concerns about the removed options were included in the post.

Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited/fact-checked, and published by humans. 

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by Ayaz Khan via Digital Information World

GoDaddy Customer Reports Renewal Charges Beyond Maximum Domain Term

A GoDaddy customer reported that the company’s checkout system accepted multiple domain renewal payments even after the domain had already reached the maximum registration period allowed by registry rules.

The issue occurred on January 9–10, 2026, while the customer was managing renewals for the domain. According to the customer, the domain’s expiry date had already been extended to April 21, 2035, which appears to align with the commonly enforced 10-year maximum future registration limit.

Image: DIW

Despite this, the customer was able to place additional renewal orders through GoDaddy’s checkout system. These orders were processed successfully, and payments were charged. However, the domain’s expiry date did not extend beyond April 21, 2035.

The customer said that no on-screen warning appeared during checkout to indicate that the maximum renewal limit had been reached. After noticing that the expiry date remained unchanged, the customer contacted GoDaddy’s live support team to seek clarification.

During the support conversation, representatives initially stated that the renewal system was functioning correctly. After further review of the account’s renewal history, support acknowledged that once a domain reaches the maximum allowable term, additional renewal charges should not be accepted.

GoDaddy support later confirmed that at least one of the extra renewal orders had exceeded the allowed registration period and would be eligible for a refund. A case note was created for further review of the customer’s account to check whether other orders placed that day were also affected.

When asked whether customers would be notified about the issue, support representatives said the matter would be escalated to the relevant internal team. However, no specific timeline or communication plan was provided.

Domain registrars typically enforce a maximum 10-year registration limit based on registry policies. Most domain management systems either block further renewals or display a warning message when users attempt to exceed this limit.

The customer’s experience suggests that GoDaddy’s checkout system may allow renewal payments to be processed even when a domain cannot be extended further, without clearly informing the user at the point of purchase.

As of publication, GoDaddy has not issued a public statement regarding the matter. Digital Information World has also contacted the company’s public relations team for clarification. The publication will update the story if a response is received.

Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed/fact-checked, edited, and published by humans.

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Why does time go by so fast, and how can we slow it down? (Q&A)

By Audrey Breen - Senior Associate Director of Communications School of Education and Human Development audreybreen@virginia.edu 434-924-0809

Image: DIW-Aigen

A UVA expert says efficiency in our daily routines can make time seem to fly, but there are steps we can take to make time last a little bit longer.

If ringing in the new year came too quickly, you’re not alone. Time does seem to move faster as you get older.

According to Jamie Jirout, who studies curiosity and learning at the University of Virginia, the more efficient we are with our days, the less memorable they are.

“We tend to have a lot of routines and habits in our daily lives,” said Jirout, an associate professor in UVA’s School of Education and Human Development. “When we’re on autopilot, time can feel like it passes quickly.”

But Jirout said there are things we can do to make time feel like it’s slowing down. We sat down with Jirout for a quick chat on how.

Q. Why did it seem like a year took forever when we were kids?

A. When we are young, there is so much changing in what we know about the world, and the experiences we are having are so new, we don’t know what to expect. The experiences when you are 5 are much more likely to be new and require a lot more cognitive effort to process.

We attend to a lot more when we are young, partly because we aren’t good at controlling attention, but also because we don’t yet know what is important to pay attention to. We don’t know what to ignore and thus pay closer attention to more details. This leads to encoding more details and more events during experiences compared to adults.

This helps our brain create more impressions or bits of information we can use to recreate memories, which makes it feel like time had more happening when we remember it.

Q. Why does time feel like it speeds up as we age?

A. As we get older, we have a much more well-developed understanding of the world. Some of what we do becomes automatic, and a lot of what we do is more predictable because we’ve learned how the world works.

This means we’ve learned what is important to pay attention to, and we don’t pay as much attention to the other stuff. Because there’s less novelty in our experiences, we don’t create as many new, distinctive memories. This leads to the feeling of fewer things happening, which can feel like time is passing faster.

Q. What can we do to make it seem like time slows down?

A. Time feels slower when we pay closer attention and when we experience new or meaningful activities.

Mindfulness is a great method for paying more attention to what is going on and being in the moment. I thought “mindfulness” meant meditation. But I realized that being mindful can be as simple as noticing what is going on around you and really being present in the moment.

I love taking the time to look up in trees and at the sky, to notice things around me that I don’t need to pay attention to to accomplish what I’m doing. These are ways of keeping us off of “autopilot” so we take in more details of our experiences.

We can also do new things that are less familiar to us, or change each time we do them, to make the experiences more distinct. In my family, we love to play board games. This deeper cognitive engagement can produce richer encoding of memories and memorable landmarks, helping it feel like the time lasted longer.

Q. How else can we benefit from adding novel activities to our daily lives?

A. Novelty doesn’t just help with memory and time perception; it can support learning, motivation and cognitive well-being. Because new activities require active thinking, we are strengthening our attention and memory systems.

Engaging in new or challenging experiences – whether learning a hobby, exploring a new place, trying a creative activity or meeting new people – can help maintain flexible thinking and support overall brain health. As we age, this can contribute to cognitive reserve, mental resources associated with healthier cognitive aging.

It’s also a great way to meet new people and discover things you like – or don’t – and a way to learn more about yourself. And if you discover new things you enjoy, that can lead to continued learning and sources of enjoyment, activating reward pathways in the brain and potentially increasing curiosity.

Q. How can a busy person with limited time add novelty to life?

A. Adding novelty doesn’t need to be a big thing. It can be as small as trying a new recipe, taking a different route to work, playing a new game or sport. These can add meaningful variety to our days and help life feel more spacious and memorable.

This post was originally published on UVA Today on January 7, 2026, and is republished here with permission.

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AI Tools Increasingly Used for Search, But Users Still Verify Results

The 2026 AI and Search Behavior Study by Eight Oh Two examined how people use artificial intelligence tools for finding information online. The survey included 500 participants who were already familiar with and used AI tools. Data was collected in November 2025.

The study found that 37% of respondents typically start their searches with AI tools such as ChatGPT instead of traditional search engines such as Google. 62% said they choose AI because it provides quick, summarized responses rather than "long lists of websites". 60% reported that AI answers are clearer and more helpful than traditional search results.

Traditional search engines are still preferred for certain types of information. 47% of respondents use them for product reviews and prices, 44% for news and recent events, 44% for images and videos, and 35% for health or medical information.

Confidence in AI varies. 80% of participants said they feel “very” or “somewhat” confident that AI provides unbiased information. However, 85% said they “always,” “often,” or “sometimes” double-check AI answers using other sources.

Survey from Eight Oh Two also shows how consumers trust different information sources. AI tools see 21% complete trust, search engines 19%, social media 16%, brand/company websites 19%, news outlets 13%, while friends and family lead with 27% complete trust.

Source/Platform	Completely Trust	Somewhat Trust	Neutral	Somewhat Distrust	Completely Distrust
AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.)	21%	47%	24%	7%	2%
Google or other search engines	19%	56%	19%	4%	1%
Social media (TikTok, Reddit, YouTube)	16%	30%	29%	19%	6%
Brand or company websites	19%	49%	25%	5%	1%
News sites or media outlets	13%	45%	27%	11%	4%
Friends / family recommendations	27%	50%	21%	2%	less than 1%

In the coming year, 63% said they expect to use AI more, while 59% believe AI will become their main way of finding information. At the same time, 50% said better fact-checking and source citations are the most important improvements they want from AI tools.

The study reflects the behavior of people who already use AI tools and does not represent all internet users.

Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans. Read next:

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• OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT Health as a Dedicated Experience for Health and Wellness Questions
by Ayaz Khan via Digital Information World

OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT Health as a Dedicated Experience for Health and Wellness Questions

OpenAI on Jan. 7, 2026, announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, a dedicated experience within ChatGPT designed to help people access and review health and wellness information, according to the company’s published release.

Image: Openai

ChatGPT Health brings health conversations, connected data, and files into a separate space with added privacy protections. OpenAI said the feature is intended to support, not replace, medical care and is not designed for diagnosis or treatment. The company said health is already one of the most common uses of ChatGPT, with more than 230 million people globally asking health and wellness questions each week based on their de-identified analysis.

The experience allows users to optionally connect medical records and wellness apps (such as Apple Health) so responses can reference connected information when relevant. Medical Records access is available only in the United States, requires users to be over 18, and is enabled through a partnership with "b.well". Apple Health integration requires iOS, while Android support "is coming soon" (as per OpenAI help page).

OpenAI said Health operates as a separate space within ChatGPT, with health chats, memories, and files kept isolated from other conversations. Health chats, files, and memories are not used to train OpenAI’s foundation models. Users can disconnect apps, delete Health memories, and manage permissions at any time, with third-party apps turned off by default.

ChatGPT Health is available via a waitlist for users with ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, excluding the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Notes: This post was drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, edited, and published by humans.

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