The Effect of Internet Use on Older Adults’ Executive Function: The Chain Mediation Effect of Social Participation and Loneliness

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to explore the association between internet use and executive function among older adults and the mediating role of social participation and loneliness in internet use and executive function. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 439 community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years) in Nanjing, China, from September to December 2022. Participants were selected using simple random sampling and assessed with four standardized instruments: the Internet Use Questionnaire, the Social Participation Capacity Assessment, the six-item UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A). Data were analyzed with the SPSS 21.0 software for descriptive statistics and correlation analysis and the AMOS 23.0 software for structural equation modeling to test the chain mediation effects. Model fit was evaluated using Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI), and Weighted Root Mean Square (WRMR), with bootstrap resampling for indirect effect estimation. Results: The results showed that internet use was positively correlated with loneliness (r = 0.203, p < 0.01), social participation impairment (r = 0.193, p < 0.01), and executive function (r = 0.420, p < 0.01). Structural equation modeling showed that greater internet use was significantly associated with poorer executive function (β = 0.306, p < 0.01). These associations were partially explained by pathways involving social participation and loneliness through three indirect pathways: internet use via social participation (indirect effect = 0.087, 18.3% of the total effect); internet use via loneliness (indirect effect = 0.049, 10.3%); and internet use via social participation and then loneliness in sequence (indirect effect = 0.035, 7.1%). Conclusions: In community-dwelling older adults, more frequent internet use was associated with greater executive function impairment through mechanisms involving reduced social participation and increased loneliness. Therefore, there is a need to limit excessive internet use while promoting social participation and reducing isolation, which can have the greatest benefits for executive functioning in older adults.