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KMID : 0379220220420020201
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Journal of Korea Gerontological Society
2022 Volume.42 No. 2 p.201 ~ p.221
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The Association between Ability to Use Text Message or SNS and Psychological Well-Being among Older Adults: Mediating Effect of Informal Social Contact and Moderated Mediating Effect of Household Composition
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Jung Chan-Woo
Choi Hee-Jeong
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Abstract
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This study examined whether the association between ability to use text message or Social Network Service (SNS) and psychological well-being among older adults might be mediated by frequency of contact with adult children or friends and neighbors and whether the mediating effects of contact frequency might be moderated by household composition (living alone vs. living with a spouse). Data were drawn from the National Survey of Older Koreans 2017. The analytic sample consisted of 6,264 older adults 65+ who were either living alone or living with a spouse and had at least one non-coresident adult child at the time of survey. For analyses, mediation and moderated mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS Process Macro. Results indicated that older adults more skilled at exchanging text messages or using SNS reported more frequent contact with adult children as well as friends and neighbors via phone calls, email, or letter, and reported higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of depressive symptoms. No difference was found in the mediating effect of contact via calls/e-mails/letters between older adults living alone and older adults living with a spouse. Face-to-face contact with adult children had no mediating effect among older adults; yet the mediating effect of face-to-face contact with friends and neighbors was found to differ by household composition. For older adults living with a spouse, the ability to use text message or SNS was associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of depressive symptoms via more frequent visits with friends and neighbors. Yet, the same mediating effect of in-person contact was not found among older adults living alone. Overall, our findings point to the importance of digital literacy education to enhance psychological well-being for older adults living alone because, compared to older adults living with a spouse, they are less skilled at using text message or SNS and had less frequent indirect contact with family, friends, and neighbors.
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KEYWORD
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Older adults, Informal social network, Life satisfaction, Depressive symptoms, Text message, Social Net Service(SNS), The national survey of older koreans
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