The Frequency of Posting on Social Media and Subjective Well-Being among Chinese Youth: The Mediating Role of the Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20230623

Abstract

Abstract:

In recent years, social media has become increasingly popular in our daily life. WeChat moment, QQ space, and microblog become the most popular social media platforms, accounting for 83.4%, 58.8% and 42.3% of all mobile phone users, respectively. These social media users are mainly young people. Young people aged 20~39 take up 70.8%, 75.2% and 70.9% of the users of WeChat moment, QQ space, and microblog respectively. The use of social media has increasingly become an important part of the life of Chinese youth. Posting on social media about their lives is becoming more and more popular among them. It is of great significance to explore the influence of this phenomenon on young people.

Previous studies mainly focused on the negative effects of social media use. In this study, we explored the positive impact of posting on social media on subjective well-being among Chinese youth. Based on the use and satisfaction theory, we hypothesized that posting on social media can meet the psychological needs of young people and further improve their subjective well-being. That is, psychological needs satisfaction plays a mediating role between posting on social media and subjective well-being. In order to test the above hypothesis, we conducted a nationwide online survey to collect data. The Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Chinese version of SDT Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Scale, the Emotion Scale and the Social media use questionnaire were used. A total of 7667 Chinese young people (5213 males and 2454 females) aged 18~44 completed the survey.

Descriptive statistical analysis and multi-group analysis using structural equation model (SEM) were conducted. The results showed that: (1) The majority of young people in China posted on social media, with an average of 6.48 posts per week. (2) The frequency of posing on social media was positively associated with subjective well-being and satisfaction of psychological needs among Chinese youth. (3) The frequency of posting on social media could meet the psychological needs of young people and therefore, improved their subjective well-being. (4) Compared with females, the frequency of posting on social media had more impact on their subjective well-being among males, and psychological needs satisfaction played a stronger mediating role as well.

These results indicated that active use of social media such as posting can meet people’s psychological needs and therefore has positive effects on people’s mental health, and the positive impact is much stronger on male than on female. These findings can provide some insights on the positive usage of social media and how to improve male’s wellbeing through active use of social media.

Key words: social media, frequency of posting, subjective well-being, psychological needs satisfaction, multi-group analysis

摘要： 本研究通过全国调查,运用结构方程模型的多群组分析对基本心理需要满足在使用社交媒体发布动态的频率与主观幸福感之间的中介效应进行了跨性别的检验。研究发现,经常发布动态能够满足青年群体的自主、胜任和关系三种基本心理需要,进而提升其主观幸福感,且对男性青年群体幸福感的提升幅度更大,心理需要满足的中介作用也更强。表明主动性社交媒体使用可以通过满足个体的心理需求促进幸福感的提升,且这种提升作用对男性更为显著。

关键词: 社交媒体, 发布动态的频率, 主观幸福感, 基本心理需要满足, 多群组分析

Zhou Yingnan, Wang Junxiu. The Frequency of Posting on Social Media and Subjective Well-Being among Chinese Youth: The Mediating Role of the Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs[J]. Journal of Psychological Science, 2023, 46(6): 1454-1461.

周迎楠, 王俊秀. 使用社交媒体发布动态的频率对青年群体主观幸福感的影响：基本心理需要满足的中介作用 ^*[J]. 心理科学, 2023, 46(6): 1454-1461.

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