Routine patterns of internet use and psychological well-being: Coping with a residential move

This paper examines how routine uses of the Internet for communication with family and friends and for entertainment may serve as indicators of overall levels of psychological well-being. At the same time, changes in psychological well-being in response to a major life event, such as a residential move, can drive changes in routine uses of the Internet, suggesting Internet-based coping strategies. Specifically, higher levels of depressive affect shortly after the move predicted increases in use of the Internet for entertainment for men and decreases in use of the Internet for communication with family and friends for women. We discuss implications of these findings for our understanding of the role of the Internet in everyday behavior and in instances of coping with stressful situations. Copyright 2006 ACM.

Duke Scholars

Author Jonathon Cummings Fuqua School of Business