ObjectivesIn this study, the effect of WeChat use on the subjective health of older adults was examined.MethodsUsing 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) survey data, we attempted to rule out potential endogeneity bias by employing instrumental variable regression to estimate the effects of WeChat use on the health of older individuals. Mobile phone price was chosen as the instrumental variable, and the health of older adults was measured from two aspects: self-rated health and the Center for Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (CES-D10).ResultsWeChat use has a significant positive impact on the subjective health of older adults and can significantly improve their self-rated health and mental health status. WeChat use has significant positive effects on the subjective health of both older men and women, but relatively younger older adults obtain more health benefits from WeChat use.ConclusionThe virtual social participation prompted by WeChat use affects the health of older adults. This finding provides a reference for promoting the active integration of older adults into digital life.

BACKGROUND With the rising population age and the development of information technology in China, a growing number of older adults use social media as a means of social participation. The impact of posting on WeChat Moments on the mental health of older adults is worthy of attention. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to identify posting on WeChat Moments as an active social media use and analyze its impact on the mental health of older adults. METHODS Using the survey data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, we defined posting on WeChat Moments as an active social media use and used propensity score matching to analyze the impact of such posting on the mental health of older adults. RESULTS The results of the study showed that posting significantly improved the depression, self-rated health, and health satisfaction of older adults, implying that older adults who used WeChat and posted on WeChat Moments benefited from the active social media use. Heterogeneity analysis showed that the female older-adult population and the younger older-adult population derived the most mental health benefit from posting on WeChat Moments. CONCLUSIONS The government should help older adults actively integrate into digital life at the policy level and guide them to use social media rationally and scientifically.