ABSTRACT

This study examined how internet use is related to subjective well-being, using longitudinal data from 19 nations with representative online samples stratified for age, gender, and region (N = 7122, 51.43% women, M _age= 45.26). Life satisfaction and anxiety served as indices of subjective well-being at time 1 (t1) and then six months later (t2). Frequency of internet use (hours online per day) at t1 correlated with lower life satisfaction, r = – .06, and more anxiety, r = .13 at t2. However, after imposing multivariate controls, frequency of internet use (t1) was no longer associated with lower subjective well-being (t2). Frequency of social contact by internet and use of internet for following rumors (t1) predicted higher anxiety (t2). Higher levels of direct (face-to-face plus phone) social contact (t1) predicted greater life satisfaction (t2). In multivariate analyses, all effect sizes were small. Society-level individualism-collectivism or indulgence-restraint did not show a direct effect on outcomes nor moderate individual-level associations. Results are discussed in the framework of the internet as a displacement of social contact versus a replacement of deficits in direct contact; and as a source of positive and negative information.

摘要

这项研究使用来自19个国家的纵向数据，对互联网的使用与主观幸福感之间的关系进行了研究，并按年龄，性别和地区进行了分层的代表性在线样本（N = 7122，女性51.43％，M _年龄= 45.26）。生活满意度和焦虑是时间1（t1）然后六个月后（t2）的主观幸福感指标。t1的互联网使用频率（每天在线小时数）与较低的生活满意度（r = –.06）和更大的焦虑度（r）相关= t2时为0.13。但是，在实施多变量控制后，互联网使用频率（t1）不再与较低的主观幸福感（t2）相关联。通过互联网进行社交接触的频率以及对以下谣言的互联网使用（t1）预测了更高的焦虑（t2）。直接（面对面加电话）社交联系（t1）的水平越高，生活满意度就越高（t2）。在多变量分析中，所有效应大小均很小。社会层面的个人主义-集体主义或放纵的束缚并没有对结果产生直接影响，也没有表现出适度的个人层面的联想。结果在互联网的框架内被讨论为社会联系的替代与直接联系的不足的替代；并作为积极和消极信息的来源。