Routine Patterns of Internet Use & Psychological Well-being: A Complex Interaction

In this paper we examine how routine uses of the Internet for particular purposes may serve as indicators of overall levels of psychological well-being. Although particular patterns of Internet use seem to mitigate the level of stress response to a major life event, such as a residential move, this effect is marginal. However, changes in psychological well-being, motivated by a residential move, can drive changes in routine uses of the Internet, indicating Internetbased coping strategies . We discuss implications of these findings for our understanding of the role of the Internet in everyday behavior and instances of coping with unusual situations.