Is the frequency of social networking sites visiting and online gaming related to life satisfaction among youth?

Abstract

The paper analyses the relationship between the frequency of social networking sites visiting and online gaming and life satisfaction, as well as the role of sex and age in it. The data from the international FES Youth Study in Southeast Europe 2018/2019 survey, conducted in ten Southeast European countries (including Serbia) on the representative samples of young people aged 14 to 29 years, were used, selecting those with regular Internet access (total N = 10,532). Both the association between the frequency of use of social networks and life satisfaction and the correlation between online gaming frequency and life satisfaction were significant, but of very low magnitude. Only the latter relationship was moderated by sex and age. The obtained results do not support the popular views on “Facebook depression” and the negative ‘effects’ of Internet use on youth well-being