Linking subjective social class perception to psychological well-being: The mediating pathway of offline gatherings and the moderating influence of internet use

Understanding the psychological mechanisms linking subjective social class perception (SSCP) to well-being is critically important in the current digital age, where media exposure may reshape traditional pathways to well-being. Drawing on an integrated framework combining cultural psychology of the interdependent self with social comparison theory, this study examines whether the mediating effects of kin and friend gatherings on the SSCP-Well-being link are moderated by exposure to internet and traditional media. Analyzing data from the 2023 Chinese General Social Survey ( N = 5583) using moderated mediation analysis, we found that SSCP was positively associated with well-being, both directly and indirectly through increased social gatherings. Crucially, internet exposure significantly attenuated the positive relationship between kin gatherings and well-being, whereas traditional media exposure showed no significant moderating effect. This finding suggests that digital environments may disrupt the psychological benefits derived from localized social affirmation, likely by triggering upward social comparisons that alter how individuals cognitively appraise their offline social interactions. These findings highlight the need to understand how digital media modulate the cognitive and social pathways from social perception to well-being.