A study on Internet use and subjective well-being among Chinese older adults: based on CGSS (2012-2018) five-wave mixed interface survey data

Chong Zhang; Yong Zhang; Yan Wang

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1277789

A study on Internet use and subjective well-being among Chinese older adults: based on CGSS (2012-2018) five-wave mixed interface survey data

Front Public Health. 2024 Jan 5:11:1277789. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1277789. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Chong Zhang¹, Yong Zhang², Yan Wang³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Network Social Governance, School of Marxism, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
² School of Economics and Trade, Guangdong University of Finance, Guangzhou, China.
³ School of Law and Sociology, Xihua University, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Objective: This study is designed to investigate the relationship between Internet use and subjective well-being of the older adults in China, and to analyze the mediating role of subjective social fairness in the above relationship.

Methods: Based on the five-wave mixed interface survey data of China General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018, we select a total of 18,458 older adults aged 60 and above, and comprehensively used ordered probit regression, propensity score matching (PSM), and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediating effect test methods.

Results: The analysis results show that (1) Internet use is significantly positively correlated with the subjective well-being of the older adults, and the higher the frequency of use, the stronger the subjective well-being. (2) Place of residence, education, and regional factors moderated the effect of Internet use on subjective well-being. The subjective well-being effect of Internet use is significant among male older adults, as well as on urban, educated, or eastern older adults. (3) Subjective social fairness plays a negative mediating role in the relationship between Internet use and subjective well-being of older adults.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that Internet use contributes to the improvement of subjective well-being in older adults, but attenuates this effect by reducing the subjective social fairness. Future research should further consider other factors such as the purpose, specific function, intensity of Internet use, etc., to gain a deeper understanding of how the Internet can help promote well-being.

Keywords: internet use; mediation effect; older adults; propensity score matching; subjective social fairness; subjective well-being.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged*
Asian People*
China
Educational Status
Health*
Humans
Internet Use*
Internet*
Male
Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

The study was supported by Guangzhou Social Science “14th Five-Year Plan” 2023 Joint Construction Project “Research on Guangzhou’s Promotion of the Deep Integration of Digital Economy and Real Economy (Project Number: 2023GZGJ18)”, and Qingyuan Social Science 2023 General Project “Promoting the Integrated Development of Digital Economy and Real Economy, and Building a Modern Industrial System Research”.