HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychology of Aging
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1711672
The Impact of Content Features of Digital Micro-Dramas on Active Aging: The Serial Mediation Effect of Emotional Engagement and Social Connectedness
Provisionally accepted
- 1Zhang Daqian School of Fine Arts, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China
- 2School of Ceramic Art and Design Art, Jingdezhen University, Jingdezhen, China
- 3College of Art and Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- 4School of Media, Jiangsu Second Normal University, Nanjing, China
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Due to the rapid development of digital media, micro-dramas have emerged as an important channel for cultural consumption and social participation among the elderly due to their concise narrative, emotional intensity, and convenient interactivity. This study leverages the theory of active aging to explore the impact mechanisms of the content characteristics of digital micro-drama (narrativity, emotional resonance,and interactivity) on active aging among the elderly, introducing emotional engagement and social connectedness as mediating variables. The study employs a questionnaire survey and structural equation modeling method to conduct an empirical analysis on a sample of 705 elderly individuals from urban China. The results indicate that the narrativity, emotional resonance, and interactivity of digital micro-dramas positively influence the level of active aging; emotional engagement demonstrates partial mediation in this process; and social connectedness plays a mediating role in several pathways. Furthermore, emotional engagement and social connectedness may exert a chain mediation effect, further strengthening the potential impact of micro-dramas on active aging. This study reveals the role of digital micro-dramas, as an emerging cultural form, in promoting psychological health and social participation among the elderly, providing theoretical support and practical insights for advancing the active aging strategy and digital cultural services for the elderly.
Keywords: digital micro-dramas, content characteristics, Active aging, emotional engagement, social connectedness
Received: 24 Sep 2025; Accepted: 23 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Cheng, Ling and Zheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Can Zheng, canzheng1228@jssnu.edu.cn
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