Social Media Use May Not Be As Bad As Some Suggest: Implication for Older Adults

Associations of Depression/Anxiety with Technology Use, Discontinued Use, and Nonuse in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

To examine correlates of the changes in technology use among older adults and the associations of depression/anxiety symptoms with technology use changes.

METHODS

We used the 2019-2021 U.S. National Health and Aging Trends Study (N = 3,063; age 70+). We fitted multinomial logistic regression models to examine: (1) correlates of never use and discontinued use versus use of email/texting and the internet during the 3-year study period; and (2) associations of past-month depression/anxiety symptoms in 2021 with use and discontinued use versus never use of email/texting and social network site (SNS).

RESULTS

The findings show age, socioeconomic, and health barriers to technology use. Email/texting and SNS use in 2021, compared to never use in all 3 years, was associated with a lower likelihood of moderate/severe depression/anxiety symptoms in 2021 (RRR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.37-0.81 for email/texting use; RRR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.33-0.97 for SNS use). Video calls with family/friends were not associated with depression/anxiety symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings expand the existing knowledge base regarding potential impact of technology use on mental health beyond the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

More concerted efforts are warranted to help older adults' technology uptake and continued use and to promote mental health benefits of technology use.

Association between WeChat use and mental health among middle-aged and older adults: a secondary data analysis of the 2020 China Family Panel Studies database

OBJECTIVE

This study focused on the association between WeChat use, the most popular social software in China, and the mental health of middle-aged and older adults.

DESIGN

Nationwide cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database.

PARTICIPANTS

The study sample included 11 127 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 and above identified from the 2020 CFPS database.

RESULTS

WeChat usage was negatively associated with depression (OR: 0.782, p<0.01), as was the WeChat Moments sharing (OR: 0.846, p<0.01). 10.310% of the relationship between WeChat usage and depression came from the effects of interpersonal relationships (5.720%) and social trust (4.590%), with significant indirect effects (B=-0.028, p<0.01). Sixteen per cent of the relationship between WeChat Moments sharing and depression came from the effect of interpersonal relationships (6.800%) and social trust (9.200%), and the indirect effect was also significant (B=-0.032, p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

WeChat use may empower middle-aged and elderly to maintain close social relationships and trust contributing to their mental health.