Americans on the whole are no happier than they were three decades ago, according to new findings from the University of Pennsylvania. But happiness inequality–the gap between the happy and the unhappy–has narrowed dramatically. “For every unhappy person who became happier,” explains economist Betsey Stevenson, co-author of the study along with economist Justin Wolfers, “there’s someone on the other side coming down.”

Who’s up? Who’s down? The answers might surprise you.

Smile and the world smiles with you, the saying goes. Cheerful findings from a groundbreaking study prove it. An exclusive interview with social network researcher James H. Fowler on how happiness spreads.

Eight years ago our household got rid of television. It was easy. The cable guy came out, flipped a switch, and the screen went fuzzy. And we’ve never been happier.