Digital Divide, Socio-Economic Outcomes and Subjective Well-Being in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan
This research examines the relationship between internet usage, socio-economic outcomes, and subjective well-being. Social outcomes are measured in the form of formal and informal networks and economic outcomes are measured through education, employment, and financial status. Subjective well-being is defined as assessment of one’s own life satisfaction. The cross-sectional study is conducted through a survey. The data was collected through a self-designed questionnaire from 500 university graduates in different region of Pakistan. The Cox regression is used to investigate the relationship among the variables. In Cox regression the gender, education, major, subjective wellbeing (SWB), positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA) are significantly affecting the duration of internet usage. Internet usage increases with age, likewise internet usage is found more in women and married individuals than men and unmarried individuals. Economic outcomes are less for internet users than the non-users similarly social outcomes are lower for users than the nonusers. Similarly, internet usage is found to decrease with increase in the level of education. This shows how online activities affect the economic and social activities of the individuals and in turn affect their subjective well-being.