Youth digital well-being: The role of digital skills and positive and negative digital outcomes in youth's subjective well-being

Abstract

Digital inequality research has shown considerable variation in individuals' ability to leverage the internet for personal benefit and well-being. However, the role of negative digital outcomes remains underexplored. Furthermore, there has been little research outside Western countries on this topic. This study investigates the relationship between digital skills and both positive and negative digital outcomes, and their impact on subjective well-being (SWB) among youth in Indonesia. We also explore the role of age, gender, education level, and subjective social class in this context. Using a survey among 1250 respondents aged 16–30 in Jakarta, we found a strong effect of digital skills on SWB, stronger than any other effect in our study. Positive and negative digital outcomes were also linked to SWB. Moreover, digital skills showed indirect effects on SWB through both positive and negative digital outcomes. SES factors such as education level and subjective social class did not directly affect SWB. These structural conditions had a weak effect on digital skills, and no significant indirect effect on SWB was observed. These findings underscore the crucial role of digital inequality variables as “new” sources of inequality, which influence youth's SWB. The prominent role of digital skills and weak relations with the structural conditions create opportunities to improve SWB and address digital inequality. Therefore, policy and intervention efforts should prioritize enhancing the digital skills of young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This can be done through various learning programs (online and offline), particularly informal education that fosters positive digital outcomes while mitigating potential negative impacts on their well-being.