Being in the Social: A cross-cultural and cross-generational study on identity processes related to Facebook use

The Digital Divide Is Aging: An Intergenerational Investigation of Social Media Engagement in China

The aging-based digital divide has gained increased research attention in recent years. This research focused on two important aspects of the aging society, the digital divide and the intergenerational differences, with regard to social media usage in China. The data were collected through a household interview, using a nationally representative sample (n= 3790) from 58 cities in mainland China. The present study investigated the association between differentiated social media usage with demographic characteristics, social economic status, physical and mental health, and social media perceptions. The results show a significant digital divide and generational differences. The existing socio-economic inequalities and demographic variance largely explained older adults' social media access and diversity of social media engagement. Social media perceptions play more essential roles in the intensity of social media engagement for each generation group. This study contributes a better understanding of the manner in which different factors are associated with different generations' social media engagement. A discussion is included regarding the necessity to close the aging-based digital gap in order to cope with the issue of rapid aging.

Freedom and Constraint in Digital Environments: Implications for the Self

We evaluate how features of the digital environment free or constrain the self. Based on the current empirical literature, we argue that modern technological features, such as predictive algorithms and tracking tools, pose four potential obstacles to the freedom of the self: lack of privacy and anonymity, (dis)embodiment and entrenchment of social hierarchy, changes to memory and cognition, and behavioral reinforcement coupled with reduced randomness. Comparing these constraints on the self to the freedom promised by earlier digital environments suggests that digital reality can be designed in more freeing ways. We describe how people reassert personal agency in the face of the digital environment's constraints and provide avenues for future research regarding technology's influence on the self.

A PLS-Neural Network Analysis of Motivational Orientations Leading to Facebook Engagement and the Moderating Roles of Flow and Age

Despite engagement being a criterion for the success of initiatives on Facebook, there is a lack of conclusive evidence about its connections with the psychological and motivational orientations that lead one to use Facebook. Built upon the uses and gratifications theory, we develop an integrative and context-specific model that links engagement with enjoyment, self-presentation, and community belonging-identified as motivational orientations underlying Facebookers' behaviors. We also draw on current flow accounts and socioemotional selectivity theory to examine the potential moderating roles of both flow experiences and age differences. We validate the survey instrument and test the model on a sample of active Facebook users. Model testing and sensitive analysis is performed with a two-stage method that combines partial least squares (PLS) and artificial neural network analysis. The results provide strong support for the validity of the hypothesized causal, mediating and moderating relationships embodied in the model. The research also provides insights into practitioners seeking to enhance Facebookers' engagements and promote continued use of Facebook.