The mental health benefits of everyday encounters with birdlife for mental health are poorly understood. Previous studies have typically relied on retrospective questionnaires or artificial set-ups with little ecological validity. In the present study, we used the Urban Mind smartphone application to examine the impact of seeing or hearing birds on self-reported mental wellbeing in real-life contexts. A sample of 1292 participants completed a total of 26,856 ecological momentary assessments between April 2018 and October 2021. Everyday encounters with birdlife were associated with time-lasting improvements in mental wellbeing. These improvements were evident not only in healthy people but also in those with a diagnosis of depression, the most common mental illness across the world. These findings have potential implications for both environmental and wildlife protection and mental healthcare policies. Specific measures, aimed at preserving and increasing everyday encounters with birdlife in urban areas, should be implemented.

Loneliness is a major public health concern with links to social and environmental factors. Previous studies have typically investigated loneliness as a stable emotional state using retrospective cross-sectional designs. Yet people experience different levels of loneliness throughout the day depending on their surrounding environment. In the present study, we investigated the associations between loneliness and social and environmental factors (i.e. overcrowding, population density, social inclusivity and contact with nature) in real-time. Ecological momentary assessment data was collected from participants using the Urban Mind smartphone application. Data from 756 participants who completed 16,602 assessments between April 2018 and March 2020 were used in order to investigate associations between momentary feeling of loneliness, the social environment (i.e. overcrowding, social inclusivity, population density) and the built environment (i.e. contact with nature) using multilevel modelling. Increased overcrowding and population density were associated with higher levels of loneliness; in contrast, social inclusivity and contact with nature were associated with lower levels of loneliness. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, education and occupation. The positive association between social inclusivity and lower levels of loneliness was more pronounced when participants were in contact with nature, indicating an interaction between the social and built environment on loneliness. The feeling of loneliness changes in relation to both social and environmental factors. Our findings have potential implications for public health strategies and interventions aimed at reducing the burden of loneliness on society. Specific measures, which would increase social inclusion and contact with nature while reducing overcrowding, should be implemented, especially in densely populated cities.

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Personal data is an essential component of business models using the Internet of Things (IoT). Massive volumes of personal data are being recorded and analysed about consumers, despite them having limited understanding about how it affects them. Perceptions and preferences in this space influence how consumers choose to interact with the IoT, to a large extent. Yet little is understood about how industry perceives the views of consumers regarding the use of their personal data. To address this gap, we conducted three workshops with IoT industry stakeholders exploring their perspectives of consumer conceptions of the value of personal data in IoT. From the workshops, three overarching analytical themes emerged: (1) A perception of a significant gap between industry and consumers' understanding of what personal data is, who owns it, how it is used in IoT products and how it drives value in IoT businesses; (2) Perceived imbalances of power between industry and consumers in the control of and value extracted from personal data, with implications for inequalities between different consumer groups; and (3) A need for greater education and transparency for consumers, and for industry, about how personal data can be used. We develop a tentative five-point manifesto for the use of personal data in IoT, and conclude that a deeper understanding of consumer perspectives by industry would be positive for the ethical development of the IoT.