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IT Identity and Satisfaction of Young People: A Prospect for Living in a Smart City
The world is experiencing a boom in smart cities, which require a digitally integrated society. This study aims to partially fill this gap by examining IT identity and satisfaction (life satisfaction and income satisfaction) among students in Russia and Kazakhstan (N = 195), as well as forecasting the significance of this relationship for living in a smart city. Although students from Kazakhstan and Russia exhibited similar levels of IT identity, the correlation between IT identity components and life satisfaction differed between the two groups. Among Kazakhstani students, a significant association was found between the overall level of IT identity and both life and income satisfaction, along with a correlation between dependence and income satisfaction. In contrast, among Russian students, the emotional connection component of IT identity showed only a weak link with both income satisfaction and life satisfaction (at a trend level). The study’s findings suggest that a stronger self-association with IT products and services, as well as the emotional pleasure derived from their use, are linked to higher levels of life satisfaction, including financial well-being. This data implies that enhancing IT identity in smart cities—where the right conditions are in place—could improve the subjective well-being of residents.
