Abstract: The high penetration rate of internet technology among older adults provides an opportunity to explore the influence of internet use on older adults’ depression symptoms. Existing studies have focused on internet use among adolescents, and relatively few studies have explored the association between internet use and depression symptoms among older adults. Based on the main effects model and buffering model of social networks, this study considers internet use as an online social network for older adults and hypothesizes that internet use is negatively associated with depression symptoms among older adults.
The mechanisms underlying how internet use affects depression symptoms are limited. Internet is an online social network, and the “network gain effect theory” believes that online social networks can increase offline social networks in real life, which furtherly reduce depression symptoms. Thus, social networks may play a mediating role in the relationships between internet use and depression symptoms. However, existing studies mainly focus on the overall social network of the older adults, such as the mediating role of social capital, and failed to explore the differences in the mediating role of different types of social networks. Because family and friend social networks are the important types of offline social networks, this study hypothesizes that family and friend social networks play mediating effects in the associations between internet use and depression symptoms. Besides, according to the pattern of different sequences, the effects of internet use on family and friend social networks may be sequential. This study therefore hypothesizes that friends and family social networks play a chain mediating effect. In addition, as the long-time of urban and rural division in China, the effects of internet use on family and friend social networks may also demonstrate the disparities in rural and urban areas. This study hypothesizes that urban-rural disparity moderates the effects of internet use on social networks.
The China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) in the 2016 and 2018 waves were employed. After excluding samples with missing data of key variables, a number of 6,764 older samples were selected. SPSS 23.0 and PROCESS were used to analyze data. First, this study examined the common method deviation analysis. Second, the descriptive results and the correlation and regression analyses between key variables were reported. Third, this study explored mediating effects of family and friend social networks. Finally, the moderating effects of urban-rural disparity were tested.
The results were as follows. First, internet use was significantly associated with fewer depression symptoms. Second, friend social network played a mediating effect on the associations between internet use and depression symptoms, while the mediating effects of the family social network were not significant. In addition, friend and family social networks played a chain mediating effect. In terms of the moderating effects of urban-rural disparity, internet use was positively associated with a larger friend social network among urban older adults. However, no significant moderating effect was found in terms of the influence of internet use on family social networks. Furthermore, friend social networks, as well as the chain association of friend and family social networks played mediating effects among urban older adults, but for rural older adults, no significant mediating effects of friends and family social networks were found.
Practical contributions are proposed in this study. First, the problem of the "digital divide" should be bridged and measures should be taken to promote internet use among older adults, especially for rural older adults. Second, friend social networks are an important target for depression intervention, and social activities should be carried out to provide an opportunity to expand friend social network. Third, when intervening on depression symptoms based on older adults’ social networks, it is important to consider the urban-rural disparity. The intervention on urban older adults’ friend social networks could benefit to alleviate depression symptoms. For rural older adults, other effective methods should be considered to promote their friends and family social networks.

Key words: Internet use, depression symptoms, family social network, friend social network, urban-rural disparity

摘要： 本研究采用两时点的纵向研究设计,基于6764名老年人被试,探究互联网使用对老年人抑郁症状的影响以及社会网络（朋友网络和家庭网络）的中介作用和城乡因素的调节作用。研究发现：（1）互联网使用显著负向预测老年人的抑郁症状;（2）朋友网络在两者之间发挥中介作用,且朋友网络与家庭网络还在其间发挥链式中介作用;（3）城乡因素显著调节互联网使用对朋友网络的影响。在城市老年人中,朋友网络的独立中介效应以及朋友网络和家庭网络的链式中介效应成立;农村老年人无法通过互联网使用改善社会网络,进而减轻其抑郁症状。研究结论对于老年人抑郁症状的早期预防和心理干预具有积极意义。

关键词: 互联网使用, 抑郁症状, 家庭网络, 朋友网络, 城乡因素