Internet Use and Youth Self-Reported Health over the Course of COVID-19

Ran Xie^*Yang CaoWenbin Wang

• Jilin University, Changchun, China

The reshaping of lifestyles and interpersonal interactions by Internet use has brought about a networked characterization of youth self-reported health. Will the networked characteristics of youth's self-reported health change under the influence of the COVID-19? By analyzing data from the 2017 and 2021 China General Social Surveys, this paper provides three findings. First, Internet use can improve youth self-reported health by promoting healthy lifestyles and interpersonal interactions. Second, under the influence of COVID-19, the positive effect of Internet use on youth self-reported health through healthy lifestyles was weakened, but the positive effect of Internet use on youth self-reported health through interpersonal interactions was strengthened. Third, the information support of Internet use in terms of life and the emotional support in terms of interactions have different empowering effects on youth self-reported health, i.e., high frequency Internet use significantly promotes youth self-reported health, and this positive effect is more pronounced in the low-income and low-education youth groups. The networked nature of Internet use shapes youth self-reported health through both lifestyle and interpersonal pathways. Under the impact of COVID-19, the online life support pathway of youth self-reported health has declined, while the online interaction support pathway has become more prominent, suggesting a breakthrough of the physical isolation limitations of pandemic-proof social capital. Networked features had a more significant ameliorative effect on the self-reported health of disadvantaged youth, suggesting the positive potential of Internet use to reduce health inequalities.