The Effects of Online Social Interactions on Life Satisfaction of Older Chinese Adults: New Insights Based on a Longitudinal Approach

Population aging and digitalization have become universal phenomena. Over the past two decades, digital inclusion has started to play a crucial role in supporting successful aging. Based on a nationally representative sample of around 5200 older adults in China over the period of 2014–2018, we explore the effects of online social interactions (OSIs) on the life satisfaction of older adults. We find that OSIs can improve the levels of life satisfaction of older Chinese adults. Estimates from fixed effect and cross-lagged structural equation models further suggest that OSIs work by increasing physical activities, healthy time allocation, interpersonal trust, and informal social engagement and reducing loneliness. We also find that OSIs narrow the social inequality in life satisfaction across groups from rural–urban areas and groups with different social statuses. Moreover, a comparison among different online engagements shows that not all online activities positively affect older adults’ life satisfaction. Different online activities have varying effects. Our results highlight that public digital interventions focusing on social functions can benefit the lives of older adults.