Digital Inclusion and Life Satisfaction in Sicilian Inner Areas: Evidence from the DREAMS Survey

Inner Areas in Italy face depopulation, ageing, and service withdrawal, where digital technologies are often seen as tools to mitigate peripherality. Using original microdata from the DREAMS–Sicily survey (1,279 respondents, five Inner Areas, 2024–2025), I investigate how individual digital inclusion relates to life satisfaction. I construct a Digital Inclusion Index (IDT) combining connectivity, digital skills, and frequency of online activities. Life satisfaction is modelled via orinary least squares and ordered probit regressions, controlling for socio-demographics, commuting, and area fixed effects. Results show moderate average levels of IDT and life satisfaction, with substantial within-area heterogeneity. Higher IDT is positively associated with life satisfaction (β = 0.016, p < 0.05): a 10-point increase corresponds to 0.16 points higher satisfaction, an effect comparable in magnitude to one additional year of schooling in the same model. Commuters report significantly lower satisfaction than non-movers (β = –0.59, p < 0.01). Given the cross-sectional, non-probability design, findings are associational and refer to the achieved sample only. Results suggest that digital policies alone are insufficient: they should be accompanied by investments in mobility infrastructure and local services, as digital inclusion does not eliminate the well-being costs of commuting.