The impact of internet use on residents’ happiness in China

Sun, Yongqiang; Gao, Jing; Zhang, Xiaolin; Cheng, Yaoxing

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1188259

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 110 publications

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“…The results in Column (2) demonstrate that social trust significantly enhances residents' happiness. The results in Column(3) indicate that Internet use and social trust are positively and significantly related at the 1% level of statistical significance. This suggests that internet use increases residents' subjective happiness through social trust.…”

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confidence: 91%

“…Internet use can increase the frequency of people's social interactions, keep them abreast of current events in society, and enhance their confidence and ability to participate in social interactions. At the same time, active participation in social interaction also helps accumulate a large amount of social capital, which makes it easier to gain social understanding and acceptance and enhance their sense of social integration [3] ; however, while the Internet brings material and spiritual enjoyment to people, it also facilitates the rapid spread of negative emotions in society [4] , becoming an indicator that influences the overall social mentality [5] . For example, Internet-related scams and cyberbullying can lead to depression and anxiety among residents [6] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does the use of the internet enhance residents’ well-being?—Evidence from China

Wu,

Meng,

Liu

et al. 2024

Environ. Soc. Psychol.

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Using data from the 2018 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this study empirically examined the impact of Chinese residents’ Internet use on their subjective well-being. The results show that Internet use significantly increases residents’ subjective well-being; the results of the marginal effect show that the increase in Internet use increases the probability of residents choosing “Relatively happy” and “Extremely happy”; further analysis shows that Internet use increases the probability of residents choosing “Relatively happy” and “Extremely happy” through the marginal effect. “Moreover, in the heterogeneity analysis, Internet use significantly increases the subjective happiness of middle-aged people aged 35–60, and increases the subjective happiness of low-education and low-income groups, while rural residents have higher subjective well-being from Internet use relative to urban residents. This study mitigates the estimation bias that may be caused by the sample self-selection problem through propensity score matching (PSM), and conducts a series of robustness tests on the empirical results. Therefore, the government should emphasize the role of Internet use in enhancing residents’ happiness and promoting the happiness effect of Internet use by further improving Internet infrastructure and upgrading residents’ Internet use skills.

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confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the use of the internet enhance residents’ well-being?—Evidence from China

Wu,

Meng,

Liu

et al. 2024

Environ. Soc. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Digital literacy and the rural cooking energy transition: Evidence from rural China

Lu,

Li,

et al. 2025

Energy Policy

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Influence of Internet Use on Happiness in China: Mediating Effects of Environmental Quality Perception and Moderating Role of Sense of Environmental Security

Huang,

2024

Behavioral Sciences

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This study aims to comprehensively examine the effects of different types of Internet use and happiness while considering the mediating role of environmental quality perception and the moderating role of a sense of environmental security. Drawing on the uses and gratifications theory, negativity bias, and social cognitive theory, the study investigates the mediating role of environmental quality perception and the moderating role of environmental security in the above relationship. Using data from 3162 respondents in the 2021 Chinese Social Survey (CSS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the study finds that Internet use for information and educational purposes significantly enhances happiness, with environmental quality perception acting as a mediator. Moreover, a moderating effect of environmental security was observed in the relationship between Internet use for educational purposes and national environmental quality perception. Specifically, the interaction between study-related Internet use and the sense of environmental security significantly and positively predicted national environmental quality perception. These findings highlight the complex interaction between Internet use, environmental factors, and happiness, offering insights into policy interventions aimed at improving Internet access and environmental awareness to enhance public mental health outcomes in China.

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The impact of internet use on residents’ happiness in China

Cited by 3 publications

References 110 publications

Does the use of the internet enhance residents’ well-being?—Evidence from China

Does the use of the internet enhance residents’ well-being?—Evidence from China

Digital literacy and the rural cooking energy transition: Evidence from rural China

Influence of Internet Use on Happiness in China: Mediating Effects of Environmental Quality Perception and Moderating Role of Sense of Environmental Security

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