By Wayne Persky |
RSS Feed In a world where concerns about the negative aspects of internet use dominate headlines, a new study from the University of Oxford offers a refreshing perspective (Daye, 2024, May 14).1 Contrary to popular belief, spending time online might actually boost your well-being. This groundbreaking research analyzed 16 years of data from 2.4 million people worldwide and found that those with internet access scored higher in measures of well-being compared to those without.
The study considered a huge amount of data.
Researchers Matti Vuorre and Andrew Przybylski examined data from the Gallup World Poll, spanning the years from 2006 to 2022. This extensive dataset included responses from 2,414,294 participants aged 15 and up, across 168 countries. This wide-ranging approach allowed the researchers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of internet access on well-being, far beyond the usual focus on young people in the U.S. and Europe.
"We set out to address this gap by analyzing how internet access, mobile internet access, and active internet use might predict psychological well-being on a global level across the life stages," Przybylski explained. "To our knowledge, no other research has directly grappled with these issues and addressed the worldwide scope of the debate." (By contrast, most previous studies have analyzed the effects of Internet access on neurological and well-being issues affecting adolescents).
"We set out to address this gap by analyzing how internet access, mobile internet access, and active internet use might predict psychological well-being on a global level across the life stages," Przybylski explained. "To our knowledge, no other research has directly grappled with these issues and addressed the worldwide scope of the debate." (By contrast, most previous studies have analyzed the effects of Internet access on neurological and well-being issues affecting adolescents).
Key findings of the study:
The study revealed several key insights that challenge the prevailing opinions and research findings about internet use:
"We were surprised to find a positive correlation between well-being and internet use across the majority of the thousands of models we used for our analysis," Vuorre said.
- People with internet access reported an 8% higher overall well-being compared to those without. This included greater life satisfaction, a stronger sense of purpose, and improved social life satisfaction.
- Participants with internet access reported more positive experiences and fewer negative experiences.
- Across thousands of models used for analysis, the association between internet access and well-being remained consistently positive.
"We were surprised to find a positive correlation between well-being and internet use across the majority of the thousands of models we used for our analysis," Vuorre said.
The study suggests new implications in the ongoing screen time debate.
These findings arrive at a crucial moment, as debates over the potential harms of internet use intensify. Concerns have reached new heights, with recent legislation potentially leading to a national TikTok ban in the United States. However, this study suggests that internet access might not be as harmful as previously thought, and could, in fact, have significant benefits for well-being.
"We hope our findings bring some greater context to the screen time debate," Przybylski said.
"We hope our findings bring some greater context to the screen time debate," Przybylski said.
Better transparency is definitely needed.
The researchers also emphasized the need for more transparency and data sharing from platform providers. They believe that understanding the full impact of internet use on mental health requires access to detailed behavioral data.
"We urge platform providers to share their detailed data on user behavior with social scientists working in this field for transparent and independent scientific inquiry, to enable a more comprehensive understanding of internet technologies in our daily lives," Przybylski added.
"We urge platform providers to share their detailed data on user behavior with social scientists working in this field for transparent and independent scientific inquiry, to enable a more comprehensive understanding of internet technologies in our daily lives," Przybylski added.
Summarizing
This study from the University of Oxford challenges long-held assumptions about the negative impacts of internet use, revealing that it may actually enhance well-being. By offering a global perspective and highlighting the positive correlation between internet access and life satisfaction, this research provides a nuanced view that could reshape the screen time debate. As we continue to navigate the complexities of digital life, these findings underscore the importance of balanced and evidence-based discussions about the role of the internet in our daily lives.
References
1. Daye, J. (2924, May 14). Could being online actually be good for you? New study reveals a surprising finding. Medical Xpress, Retrieved from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-online-good-reveals.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter
