COVID_Study_Italy_0405

In the frame of Semiotic Cultural Psychosocial Theory, the study examines the meanings of being online during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on narratives from Italian college students. Content analysis was used to map the Dimensions of Meaning (DS) characterizing the texts; ANOVA to examine (dis)similarities in DS related to sociodemographic characteristics and Internet connotations (IC); Pearson’s correlations to examine relationships between DS and well-being. Two main DS emerged: being online in daily life (‘rupture’/‘continuity’) and Internet functions during pandemic (‘health emergency’/‘daily activities’). Findings suggest that Internet use impacts IC and well-being depending on meanings attributed to being online.