Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China
This study is aimed to examine the impact of WeChat use intensity on social isolation, loneliness, and well-being during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the regulatory loop model of loneliness, the notions of Internet Paradox, the Time Displacement hypothesis and previous li...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707667/full |
| _version_ | 1829518604153913344 |
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| author | Jianfeng Li Luyang Zhou Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Shengxiao Li Hong Tao Zhiwen Guo |
| author_facet | Jianfeng Li Luyang Zhou Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Shengxiao Li Hong Tao Zhiwen Guo |
| author_sort | Jianfeng Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study is aimed to examine the impact of WeChat use intensity on social isolation, loneliness, and well-being during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the regulatory loop model of loneliness, the notions of Internet Paradox, the Time Displacement hypothesis and previous literature on WeChat use intensity, we propose that lockdown loneliness (partially) mediates the relationship between lockdown WeChat use intensity and well-being (i.e., lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction). Moreover, we assume that lockdown WeChat use intensity moderates the relationship between lockdown social isolation and well-being (i.e., lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction) in both a direct and in an indirect way, that is through lockdown loneliness. The results from our Structural Equation Modeling analyses, using a sample of 1,805 Chinese respondents, indicate that all of our research hypotheses are confirmed. From this empirical work, it becomes clear that online social interactions, which are believed by many people to be able to compensate for the lack of offline social interactions during the COVID-19 lockdown period, in fact are endangering their mental health and life satisfaction instead. This article concludes with theoretical and practical implications of our study, followed by its limitations and recommendations for future research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T14:24:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e11068caa2e42dd9b4b038e1a5a2717 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T14:24:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e11068caa2e42dd9b4b038e1a5a27172022-12-21T22:28:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-08-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.707667707667Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in ChinaJianfeng Li0Luyang Zhou1Beatrice Van Der Heijden2Beatrice Van Der Heijden3Beatrice Van Der Heijden4Beatrice Van Der Heijden5Beatrice Van Der Heijden6Shengxiao Li7Hong Tao8Zhiwen Guo9Department of Big Data Management and Application, School of Business, Hubei University, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment of Business Administration, School of Business, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, ChinaInstitute for Management Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, NetherlandsFaculty of Management, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, NetherlandsDepartment of Marketing, Innovation and Organisation, Ghent University, Ghent, BelgiumSchool of Business, Hubei University, Wuhan, ChinaKingston Business School, Kingston University, London, United KingdomDepartment of Business Administration, School of Business, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, ChinaDepartment of Business Administration, School of Business, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, ChinaDepartment of Human Resource Management, School of Business, Hubei University, Wuhan, ChinaThis study is aimed to examine the impact of WeChat use intensity on social isolation, loneliness, and well-being during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the regulatory loop model of loneliness, the notions of Internet Paradox, the Time Displacement hypothesis and previous literature on WeChat use intensity, we propose that lockdown loneliness (partially) mediates the relationship between lockdown WeChat use intensity and well-being (i.e., lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction). Moreover, we assume that lockdown WeChat use intensity moderates the relationship between lockdown social isolation and well-being (i.e., lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction) in both a direct and in an indirect way, that is through lockdown loneliness. The results from our Structural Equation Modeling analyses, using a sample of 1,805 Chinese respondents, indicate that all of our research hypotheses are confirmed. From this empirical work, it becomes clear that online social interactions, which are believed by many people to be able to compensate for the lack of offline social interactions during the COVID-19 lockdown period, in fact are endangering their mental health and life satisfaction instead. This article concludes with theoretical and practical implications of our study, followed by its limitations and recommendations for future research.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707667/fulllockdown social isolationlockdown lonelinesswell-being (lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction)lockdown WeChat use intensityCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Jianfeng Li Luyang Zhou Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Beatrice Van Der Heijden Shengxiao Li Hong Tao Zhiwen Guo Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China Frontiers in Psychology lockdown social isolation lockdown loneliness well-being (lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction) lockdown WeChat use intensity COVID-19 |
| title | Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China |
| title_full | Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China |
| title_fullStr | Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China |
| title_short | Social Isolation, Loneliness and Well-Being: The Impact of WeChat Use Intensity During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China |
| title_sort | social isolation loneliness and well being the impact of wechat use intensity during the covid 19 pandemic in china |
| topic | lockdown social isolation lockdown loneliness well-being (lockdown stress and lockdown life satisfaction) lockdown WeChat use intensity COVID-19 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.707667/full |
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