The Mediating Effect of Digital Literacy on the Relationship between Smartphone Use Motives and Life Satisfaction for Senior Citizens in Korea

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of smartphone usage motives on life satisfaction in older adults, and to examine the mediating effect of digital literacy in the relationship between smartphone use motives and life satisfaction. METHODS: Data from 2004 participants of the 2018 Smartphone overdependence survey were analyzed by structural equation modeling. RESULTS: Smartphone use for communication had a positive impact on life satisfaction, and smartphone use for leisure negatively influenced life satisfaction. However, smartphone use for information seeking was not directly related to life satisfaction. Communication and information-seeking use motives positively influenced digital literacy, but smartphone use for leisure did not affect. Digital literacy was also positively related to life satisfaction. Finally, communication use motives influenced life satisfaction partially mediating digital literacy, and smartphone use for information seeking influenced life satisfaction, fully mediating digital literacy. CONCLUSION: By explaining how smartphone use motives significantly affect senior citizens’ life satisfaction, this study established the further meaningfulness of digital literacy.