Estonian Human Development Report
Estonian Human Development Report - Eesti Koostöö Kogu
Estonian Human Development Report - Eesti Koostöö Kogu
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5.5. General relationships between<br />
the indicators of the consumer and<br />
information society and the quality of life<br />
In this subchapter we will examine the relationships<br />
between one aspect of subjective well-being – satisfaction<br />
with life – and the aggregate indicators reflecting consumption<br />
and Internet use as well as orientations related<br />
to the consumer and information society.<br />
Figure 5.5.1. lists the relationships between people’s<br />
satisfaction with life and the indexes related to consumer<br />
and information society based on the correlation coefficients<br />
calculated on the basis of the entire sample of the<br />
2008 Mina. Maailm. Meedia survey. We see that people’s<br />
assessment of their satisfaction with life is most strongly<br />
related to the index of financial prosperity, which measures<br />
the availability of money for various expenses, ranging<br />
from eating adequately to travelling and educating<br />
children. It can be concluded, therefore, that in the context<br />
of aspects of the consumer and information society,<br />
people’s subjective well-being is primarily dependent on<br />
their material consumption opportunities.<br />
The indicators related to Internet use, including frequency<br />
of Internet use (summated frequency of use at work<br />
/ school, home and elsewhere) and versatility of Internet use<br />
(summary indicator of the relative importance of engagement<br />
in 22 different online activities), occupy important<br />
positions in the hierarchy of factors: the level of satisfaction<br />
with life is higher in the case of people who have<br />
more resources (opportunities, time and skills) for using<br />
the Internet in various ways. Among attitudinal indicators,<br />
consumption-related dissatisfaction has the strongest<br />
(and, as expected, negative) connection with people’s satisfaction<br />
with life. This perceived lack of opportunities for<br />
enjoying a healthy diet, and the insufficient selection of<br />
food and clothing have a negative effect on the general level<br />
of satisfaction with life. More hedonistic consumption orientations<br />
focused on lifestyles and self-expression, such as<br />
consumerism and attributing importance to brands 29 , have<br />
less of a connection with people’s assessment of their quality<br />
of life than the previously described consumption and<br />
Internet use indicators related to resources and daily life.<br />
Satisfaction with life is affected equally by consumerism<br />
and the tendency to value brands as well as people’s level<br />
of being informed regarding the events taking place in their<br />
immediate environment, Estonia, and the rest of the world.<br />
Orientations that are critical of consumer society and<br />
focus on the conservation of the environment as well as the<br />
opposite orientations 30 have a weaker connection to people’s<br />
assessment of their level of satisfaction with life. The<br />
strength of the relationships and their positive or negative<br />
nature vary considerably in terms of different age groups.<br />
The youngest generation of respondents (aged 15–29)<br />
differs from middle-aged and older respondents mainly<br />
with regard to the fact that several orientations related<br />
to consumer and information society, including versatile<br />
Internet use, consumerism, and attributing importance<br />
to brands, are so widespread among them that they are<br />
not related to the differences in satisfaction with life that<br />
appear within the group. The intra-generation differences<br />
in subjective well-being are reflected primarily in the variations<br />
regarding the availability of financial resources and<br />
activeness related to Internet use, as young people who<br />
are wealthier and use the Internet more frequently tend<br />
to be more satisfied with their lives. A higher level of criticism<br />
towards consumption opportunities and choices is<br />
also related to a lower level of satisfaction with life in the<br />
case of the youngest age group. Compared to middle-aged<br />
respondents, the relationships is even stronger. It is noteworthy<br />
that for the younger generation, satisfaction with<br />
life is connected to a lower level of concern regarding the<br />
Figure 5.5.1. Relationships between people’s level<br />
of satisfaction with life (5 – “completely satisfied” ...<br />
1 – “not at all satisfied”) and indexes related to consumer<br />
and information society by age groups (Pearson<br />
correlation coefficients, p