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Factors Predicting Life Satisfaction Among Social Media Users

Author

Listed:
  • Veysel BOZKURT

    (Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics, İstanbul, Turkey)

  • Aşkın KESER

    (Uludag University, Faculty of Economics, Department of Administrative Sciences Labour Economics and Industrial Relations, Bursa, Turkey)

  • Haluk ZÜLFİKAR

    (Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics, İstanbul, Turkey)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the factors predicting life satisfaction among social media users, such as loneliness, age, gender, education, unemployment, marital status, trust, and religious involvement. Data was collected from 1547 social media users using convenience sampling. In the data collection process of the study, a questionnaire was shared on social media networks after uploading it to Google forms. In the correlation analysis, life satisfaction was determined to have a statistically significant negative relationship with loneliness, social media usage time, being unemployed and age. Conversely, a positive correlation was determined with trust in people, optimism about the future, religious involvement, marital status and female gender. Of the total respondents, 54.2% thought that social media increases loneliness, 20.3% stated that the use of social media increased their unhappiness, and 68.3% considered people to be very disrespectful to each other on social media networks. The predictors of life satisfaction found in the multiple regression model were loneliness, female gender, having a graduate or postgraduate degree, trusting people, positive expectation about the future, religious involvement and not being unemployed. Age and internet usage time did not have a significant effect in the regression analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Veysel BOZKURT & Aşkın KESER & Haluk ZÜLFİKAR, 2020. "Factors Predicting Life Satisfaction Among Social Media Users," Journal of Social Policy Conferences, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 0(78), pages 47-62, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:ist:iujspc:v:0:y:2020:i:78:p:47-62
    DOI: 10.26650/jspc.2020.78.0035
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. de Ree, Joppe & Alessie, Rob, 2011. "Life satisfaction and age: Dealing with underidentification in age-period-cohort models," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 177-182, July.
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