The way you type and the music you listen to on your phone can predict your politics better than your age or your paycheck.
March 30, 2026
Original Paper
The Digital Authoritarian: Behavioral Patterns Collected via Smartphones Are Linked to Authoritarian Tendencies
PsyArXiv · 6mk2a_v3
AI-generated illustration
The Takeaway
It suggests that our political psyche isn't just a set of opinions, but is reflected in the 'micro-behaviors' of how we interact with technology. Finding that digital footprints are twice as predictive as basic demographics suggests our phones may reveal our core personality traits better than census data does.
From the abstract
As authoritarianism rises worldwide, understanding authoritarian tendencies among ordinary citizens is an increasingly urgent scientific and societal challenge. Authoritarianism’s rise has coincided with the rise of smartphones, yet little is known about whether or how individuals’ authoritarian tendencies are related to their smartphone use or to their everyday behavioral patterns, more broadly. The present study provides the first evidence that smartphone use is related to individuals’ authori