Investigating happiness orientations and digital leisure flow experiences of e-recreation participants

The aim of this study is to examine the happiness orientations and digital leisure flow experiences of individuals participating in e-recreation activities, and to determine whether these variables differ according to demographic characteristics. The study was designed using a quantitative research method based on a descriptive survey model, and the data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0. The study group consisted of 303 individuals who participated in e-recreation activities in online environments. Data were collected using the Short Form of the Orientations to Happiness Scale (Akın & Özkaya, 2015) and the Digital Leisure Flow Experience Scale (Er & Cengiz, 2023). Descriptive statistics, independent samples ttest, one-way ANOVA, Tamhane's post-hoc test, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression analysis were employed in the analysis process. The findings revealed a positive and significant correlation between digital flow experience and happiness orientation (r = .266, p < .001). According to the regression analysis, digital flow significantly predicted happiness orientation, accounting for 7% of the variance. While no significant difference was found based on gender, variables such as income level, educational status, daily digital use duration, and type of digital device used led to significant differences in both digital flow and happiness levels. These results indicate that time spent in digital leisure environments contributes to individuals' psychological well-being, and that high-quality digital content can positively influence levels of happiness. Keywords: e-recreation, happiness orientations, digital leisure, flow experience