Social Network Services and Loneliness: A Comparative Study Between the Urban Solitary Youth and the Elderly

People are using Social Network Services (SNSs) more and more in today's digital and mobile world to communicate with the outside world rather than going face-to-face with it. While providing the convenience of connectivity, SNS use has a profound impact on psychological well-being. Prior research on the effects of SNSs on psychological well-being has not yet produced resounding findings. Focusing on one aspect of psychological well-being, loneliness, this study hypothesizes and compares three mediating mechanisms of SNS use on loneliness (i.e., offline social support, online social capital, and meaning in life) among different types and between elderly and young adults. A sample of 207 elderly and 310 young adults was collected to validate the hypotheses. The elderly group comprises 94.7% of the respondents who are older than 50. Of the respondents in the sample of young adults, 97.1% are between the ages of 20 and 35, and all of them are single and reside in a city other than their hometown. The result of PLS-SEM analysis shows no direct effect of SNS use on loneliness. The mediating effects vary between elderly and urban solitary youth, as well as among types of SNS. Elderly people place a high value on seeking offline social support and meaning in life, which helps them alleviate loneliness, while young adults prioritize expanding online social capital which exacerbates their loneliness. This study contributes theoretically to social network theories and developmental psychology, as well as practical implications for SNS design.