School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 23;19(21):13766. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192113766.
With digital infrastructures becoming the foundation of modern life and a shared lifestyle, the internet has become a popular leisure tool for middle-aged and elderly individuals. However, inappropriate use of the internet can jeopardize their health and quality of life, and excessive internet use by middle-aged and older adults is a cause for concern. This study found that middle-aged and older adults are vulnerable to excessive internet use. One predictor of excessive use is loneliness, but its effect is relatively limited. It is a mediating variable rather than the essential cause of excessive internet use by middle-aged and older adults. The effect of sensation seeking is a strong predictor of middle-aged and older adults' excessive internet use, which means they have a strong desire to use the internet to satisfy their emotional needs, thus, resulting in excessive internet use. The social nature of digital infrastructure in a relational framework and the impact of the internet on different populations are likely more complex than we imagine and have the potential to cause many unintended effects.
随着数字基础设施成为现代生活和共享生活方式的基础，互联网已成为中老年人流行的休闲工具。然而，互联网使用不当会危及他们的健康和生活质量，中老年人过度使用互联网令人担忧。本研究发现，中老年人容易过度使用互联网。过度使用的一个预测因素是孤独感，但它的影响相对有限。它是一个中介变量，而不是中老年人过度使用互联网的根本原因。感觉寻求的作用是中老年人过度使用互联网的一个强有力的预测因素，这意味着他们有强烈的上网欲望，以满足他们的情感需求，从而导致过度上网。数字基础设施在关系框架中的社会性质以及互联网对不同人群的影响可能比我们想象的更复杂，有可能产生许多意想不到的影响。
