Comparing the Happiness Effects of Real and On-Line Friends

31 Pages Posted: 12 Jan 2013 Last revised: 26 Jan 2023

See all articles by John F. Helliwell

John F. Helliwell

University of British Columbia (UBC) - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Haifang Huang

University of Alberta - Department of Economics

Date Written: January 2013

Abstract

A recent large Canadian survey permits us to compare real-time and on-line social networks as sources of subjective well-being. The sample of 5,000 is drawn randomly from an on-line pool of respondents, a group well placed to have and value on-line friendships. We find three key results. First, the number of real-life friends is positively correlated with subjective well-being (SWB) even after controlling for income, demographic variables and personality differences. Doubling the number of friends in real life has an equivalent effect on well-being as a 50% increase in income. Second, the size of online networks is largely uncorrelated with subjective well-being. Third, we find that real-life friends are much more important for people who are single, divorced, separated or widowed than they are for people who are married or living with a partner. Findings from large international surveys (the European Social Surveys 2002-2008) are used to confirm the importance of real-life social networks to SWB; they also indicate a significantly smaller value of social networks to married or partnered couples.

Suggested Citation

Helliwell, John F. and Huang, Haifang, Comparing the Happiness Effects of Real and On-Line Friends (January 2013). NBER Working Paper No. w18690, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2199766

John F. Helliwell (Contact Author)

University of British Columbia (UBC) - Department of Economics ( email )

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Haifang Huang

University of Alberta - Department of Economics ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://www.ualberta.ca/~haifang/index.html

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