Time spent online and children's self-reported life satisfaction in Norway
- Despite public discourses highlighting the negative consequences of time spent online (TSO) for children's well-being, Norwegian children (aged 9-16 years) use the Internet more than other European children and score higher on self-reported life satisfaction (SRLS).
To explore the possibility that TSO might contribute to high life satisfaction or other underlying explanatory factors, we investigate the relationship between TSO and SRLS in Norway while also accounting for how individual, family, school, and broader social circumstances influence this relationship.
Countering prevailing discourses, we find a positive relationship between TSO and SRLS, which remains positive and significant even after a wider range of variables are accounted for.
By explaining the circumstances under which TSO has a positive effect on SRLS, this article provides evidence of the complex role that digital technology plays in the lives of children.
It also provides a critique of the often simplistic arguments found in public discourses aroundDespite public discourses highlighting the negative consequences of time spent online (TSO) for children's well-being, Norwegian children (aged 9-16 years) use the Internet more than other European children and score higher on self-reported life satisfaction (SRLS).
To explore the possibility that TSO might contribute to high life satisfaction or other underlying explanatory factors, we investigate the relationship between TSO and SRLS in Norway while also accounting for how individual, family, school, and broader social circumstances influence this relationship.
Countering prevailing discourses, we find a positive relationship between TSO and SRLS, which remains positive and significant even after a wider range of variables are accounted for.
By explaining the circumstances under which TSO has a positive effect on SRLS, this article provides evidence of the complex role that digital technology plays in the lives of children.
It also provides a critique of the often simplistic arguments found in public discourses around children's digital media use.…
| Author details: | Tijana MilosevicORCiD, Niamh Ni Bhroin, Kjartan OlafssonORCiD, Elisabeth Staksrud, Sebastian WachsORCiDGND |
|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221082651 |
| ISSN: | 1461-4448 |
| ISSN: | 1461-7315 |
| Title of parent work (English): | New media & society |
| Subtitle (English): | the socio-ecological perspective |
| Publisher: | Sage Publ. |
| Place of publishing: | London |
| Publication type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of first publication: | 2022/04/06 |
| Publication year: | 2022 |
| Release date: | 2024/04/22 |
| Tag: | Internet use; Norway; children and media; family; satisfaction; self-reported life; well-being |
| Article number: | 14614448221082651 |
| Number of pages: | 22 |
| Funding institution: | Norwegian National State Budget 2017-2018 under the Ministry of Justice; and Public Security's Proposition 1S [20162017]; Norwegian National; State Budget 2017-2018 under the Ministry of Justice and Public; Security's Proposition 12 S Escalation Plan against Violence and Abuse; (2017-2021) [20161017]; UiO:Norden; European Union [801522]; Science; Foundation Ireland; European Regional Development Fund through the ADAPT; Centre for Digital Content Technology [13/RC/2106_P2] |
| Organizational units: | Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Strukturbereich Bildungswissenschaften / Department Erziehungswissenschaft |
| DDC classification: | 3 Sozialwissenschaften / 37 Bildung und Erziehung / 370 Bildung und Erziehung |
| Peer review: | Referiert |
| Publishing method: | Open Access / Hybrid Open-Access |
| License (German): |  CC-BY-NC - Namensnennung, nicht kommerziell 4.0 International |
