Work

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

Year: 2026

Type: article

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.

Source: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-08650-6

Authors: Jingchuan Wu, Xin Yao Lin, Tian Lin, David E. Conroy, David M. Almeida

Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Weill Cornell Medicine, University of Florida, University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Technology Use by Older Adults

Subfield: Demography

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,890