Internet use and subjective well-being among Chinese older adults: a serial mediation analysis of objective socioeconomic status and subjective social status

Introduction This study examines the association between internet use (IU) and subjective well-being (SWB) through a sequential mediation framework involving objective socioeconomic status (OSES) and subjective social status (SSS) among Chinese adults aged 60 years and older. Methods Using data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS2021), we estimated ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models and a serial mediation model (PROCESS Model 6) in a primary analytical sample of 811 respondents. HC3 heteroskedasticity-consistent standard errors were used for regression inference, while 5,000 percentile bootstrap resamples were used to construct confidence intervals for indirect associations. Results Internet use was positively associated with SWB after adjustment for seven demographic and institutional control variables, but the direct association was not statistically significant after accounting for OSES and SSS. Internet use was positively associated with OSES, OSES was positively associated with SSS, and SSS was associated with greater SWB. The serial indirect association through OSES followed by SSS was statistically significant, whereas the two single-mediator indirect associations were not. Moderation analyses indicated a stronger IU–OSES association among women, whereas the interaction effects involving age group and hukou status were not statistically significant. Discussion These findings suggest that socioeconomic resources and perceived social standing may help explain the association between internet use and subjective well-being among Chinese older adults.