Perhaps social networks are not as dangerous as we thought…
While many countries, fearing digital threats, are introducing new laws to regulate the Internet space, a team of researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) proves that access to the Network positively affects our well-being.
An analysis of data collected between 2006 and 2021 from two million respondents from 168 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa aged 15-99 showed that people who have access to the online world show higher levels of life satisfaction and social well-being.
In the vast majority of cases-85% - researchers found a statistically significant positive relationship between having an Internet connection and various indicators, such as overall life satisfaction, our emotional background, and the well-being of society as a whole. To do this, they used about 34 thousand different statistical models.
However, an inverse relationship was found in 5% of cases. Negative associations with the Internet were mainly observed among young women aged 15 to 24 years. This result is consistent with previous surveys indicating a stronger relationship between active social media use and depressive symptoms in women in this age group.
Professor Andrew Przybylski, who led the experiment, stressed that the results may run counter to the prevailing public views on the role of technology, but urged lawmakers to rely on evidence rather than "common anecdotes and stereotypes" when developing new rules.
"If we want to make the online space safe for the younger generation, we cannot act rashly, trying to find a universal solution. We must be prepared for the fact that opinions will have to change as new data becomes available," he said.
Although the study did not focus specifically on social media, which is a major topic of discussion about online security, its broad coverage in the experiment provides valuable insights. Kevin McConway, a professor of statistics at the Open University, said that while this work is generalised, it is useful as a starting point and seriously undermines the popular view that the Internet is uniquely harmful to everyone.
Dr Ruth Plackett, a senior research fellow at University College London, stressed that it is also important to consider the limitations of the study. In particular, the fact that scientists considered the average data for the "average" inhabitant of each country.
Other participants also acknowledge certain shortcomings in their work, including the inability to prove causality in some conclusions. For example, they could not completely rule out the possibility that it was not the Internet itself that led to the improvement in people's well-being, but the associated increase in income in most countries.
However, Professor Przybylski noted that this work provides important lessons for policy makers developing new regulations. He pointed to the lack of peer-reviewed scientific papers on this topic and the fact that most of the available research is focused on English-speaking, more affluent States.
The study, conducted by Przybylski and Professor Matti Vuorre based on data from the Gallup World Poll, which was conducted by millions of people around the world, will be published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Technology, Mind and Behavior.
While many countries, fearing digital threats, are introducing new laws to regulate the Internet space, a team of researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) proves that access to the Network positively affects our well-being.
An analysis of data collected between 2006 and 2021 from two million respondents from 168 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa aged 15-99 showed that people who have access to the online world show higher levels of life satisfaction and social well-being.
In the vast majority of cases-85% - researchers found a statistically significant positive relationship between having an Internet connection and various indicators, such as overall life satisfaction, our emotional background, and the well-being of society as a whole. To do this, they used about 34 thousand different statistical models.
However, an inverse relationship was found in 5% of cases. Negative associations with the Internet were mainly observed among young women aged 15 to 24 years. This result is consistent with previous surveys indicating a stronger relationship between active social media use and depressive symptoms in women in this age group.
Professor Andrew Przybylski, who led the experiment, stressed that the results may run counter to the prevailing public views on the role of technology, but urged lawmakers to rely on evidence rather than "common anecdotes and stereotypes" when developing new rules.
"If we want to make the online space safe for the younger generation, we cannot act rashly, trying to find a universal solution. We must be prepared for the fact that opinions will have to change as new data becomes available," he said.
Although the study did not focus specifically on social media, which is a major topic of discussion about online security, its broad coverage in the experiment provides valuable insights. Kevin McConway, a professor of statistics at the Open University, said that while this work is generalised, it is useful as a starting point and seriously undermines the popular view that the Internet is uniquely harmful to everyone.
Dr Ruth Plackett, a senior research fellow at University College London, stressed that it is also important to consider the limitations of the study. In particular, the fact that scientists considered the average data for the "average" inhabitant of each country.
Other participants also acknowledge certain shortcomings in their work, including the inability to prove causality in some conclusions. For example, they could not completely rule out the possibility that it was not the Internet itself that led to the improvement in people's well-being, but the associated increase in income in most countries.
However, Professor Przybylski noted that this work provides important lessons for policy makers developing new regulations. He pointed to the lack of peer-reviewed scientific papers on this topic and the fact that most of the available research is focused on English-speaking, more affluent States.
The study, conducted by Przybylski and Professor Matti Vuorre based on data from the Gallup World Poll, which was conducted by millions of people around the world, will be published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Technology, Mind and Behavior.
