I'm Always Online

Abstract

Internet use has become an integral part of our lives. It provides a lot of benefits; however, excessive use can have serious consequences for one's well-being. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to explore well-being of heavy Internet users. Empirical research was conducted on 500 students of engineering, who were divided into groups based on the total time per day reported spending in various online activities. The comparison of subjective well-being and sources of life satisfaction and dissatisfaction showed that heavy Internet users were less happy compared to light users. Heavy Internet users found more satisfaction in various entertainment activities, while light users found more satisfaction in love life and family. Findings of this research provide some important theoretical findings, but also point out that the continuing research is needed to further explore the relation between Internet addiction, time spent online, and well-being.