Researchers from the Cluj-based FSEGA have analyzed the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on well-being at the national level, and the study explores a key aspect of the role of technological innovation in improving the overall quality of life of individuals, covering both subjective and objective well-being. This study analyzed the influence of ICT on well-being while considering the moderating effect of gender inequality.
The research uses panel data from 185 countries for the period 2005-2021 to explore the relationship between ICT and well-being in terms of gender inequality, using subjective (e.g. life satisfaction) and objective (e.g. prosperity) well-being indicators.
The objective was to gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between ICT and well-being, with a focus on the moderating role of gender inequality. The findings suggest that there is a positive correlation between the impact of ICTs and well-being, which is amplified as gender inequality decreases.
The study provides valuable insights into the role of gender equality – an essential component of social innovation – in underpinning the positive welfare effects of ICTs, assessed from both subjective and objective perspectives.
In this study, researchers explore the relationship between ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) adoption and well-being. Use of the internet, cellular and fixed mobile phone subscriptions, secure internet servers and fixed broadband subscriptions have a direct influence on well-being (measured from a subjective perspective). Following a thorough examination of the main findings of the analysis, particularly when well-being is assessed through a subjective indicator – happiness (life satisfaction) – several key points emerge: the relationship between internet use and happiness is not linear, indicating that the magnitude of its impact varies. Specifically, the positive influence on subjective well-being gradually diminishes and may become insignificant at extreme levels of gender inequality; the effects of broadband and telecommunications (Tel) on subjective well-being are clearly positive, with a more pronounced impact in scenarios characterized by lower gender inequality. Interestingly, for mobile phone use, when gender inequality is incorporated into the analysis, the positive effect on subjective well-being appears to be diminished. However, only in the case of secure internet servers, the moderating effect of gender inequality on the relationship between ICT and well-being was not confirmed.
The study focused on a sample of 185 countries worldwide and, due to the complexity of the analysis, the researchers did not sub-sample on the basis of different criteria such as income classifications or geographical areas.
Cristina Boța-Avram, Violeta Ligia Văidean, Monica Violeta Achim and Nawazish Mirza are the authors of the study, and the results of their research on information and communication technologies (ICT) have been published in the Journal of Innovation & Knowledge.
