| Abstract: |
As people are spending more time online, it is important to evaluate the
impact of Internet use on individual well-being. Internet use yields direct
utility and economic returns (e.g. better job, higher productivity) that may
increase life sa-tisfaction. But the Internet might also have detrimental
effects (addiction, social isolation, e.g.). This paper empirically examines
the relation between Internet use and subjective well-being. Using
Luxemburgish data from a European so-cial survey, we find evidence that non
users are less satisfied in their life than Internet users. This result holds
when we control for socio-demographic charac-teristics, social capital, values
and beliefs, and health and income. Moreover, the positive influence of
Internet use is stronger for low income and young in-dividuals. These findings
suggest that public policy aiming to reduce the digital divide are socially
desirable.. |