Associations Between Social Media-Based Digital Contact with Family and Friends on Loneliness and Well-being Outcomes in Middle-aged and Older Adults: A Mediation Analysis

Abstract

Social connections are essential for well-being, particularly in middle-aged and older adults, but maintaining them becomes challenging due to shrinking social networks and physical limitations that hinder participation in social events. Social media offers a potential avenue for increasing social interaction and online social support, thereby reducing loneliness and enhancing well-being. Links among social media, loneliness, and well-being remain unclear due in part to age-related differences in how social media is used and perceived. This study utilized data from MIDUS wave 3 and MIDUS refresher 1 (n=6,871) adults in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey to investigate how social media-based digital contact mediates the relationships between age, loneliness, and emotional and psychological well-being outcomes. Older age was associated with a lower frequency of social media contact with family and friends. Reduced family contact was linked to greater loneliness, lower positive affect, higher negative affect, and poorer psychological well-being. Significant indirect effects of age on emotional and psychological well-being, mediated by family-related social media-based digital contact and loneliness, were observed. These findings highlight the unique emotional importance of family connections in later life. Enhancing family-focused social media engagement could mitigate loneliness and improve psychological health, offering a valuable strategy to reduce social isolation in aging populations.