AUTHOR=Wei Ning , Sun Dingqiang , Huang Wenhao 

TITLE=Effects of WeChat use on the subjective health of older adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919889

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.919889

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Objectives: In this study, the effect of WeChat use on the subjective health of elderly people is examined using elderly people in China as subjects.
Methods: We innovatively used mobile phone use by elderly people as an instrumental variable to eliminate the possible endogeneity problem of ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation.
Results: Analyses of the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) survey data indicate that WeChat use has a significant positive impact on the subjective health of elderly people and can significantly improve their self-rated health and mental health status. WeChat use has significant positive effects on the subjective health of both elderly men and women, but younger elderly people obtain more health benefits from WeChat use.
Conclusion: The virtual social participation prompted through WeChat use affects the health of elderly people, a finding that provides a reference for the promotion of the active integration of elderly people into digital life.