互联网使用对老年人心理健康的影响——基于CGSS (2021)数据的实证分析

Mechanistic Studies of the Effects of Internet Use on Mental Health in Older People—Empirical Analysis Based on the CGSS (2021) Data

随着我国互联网事业的蓬勃发展与广泛普及,老年网民群体规模迅猛增长,其互联网使用也对其个体产生重大影响。基于2021年的CGSS调查数据,本文首先采用二元Logit回归模型对互联网使用对老年人心理健康的影响进行实证分析,其次,研究探讨了互联网使用对老年人心理健康的影响机制,最后对不同老年群体进行异质性分析。研究发现:使用互联网对老年人的心理健康有显著的正向影响;使用互联网进行社交活动的老年人比没有使用的老年人心理健康状况更好;在使用互联网过程中,婚姻状况对老年人心理健康发挥着正向调节的作用。

With the vigorous development and widespread popularization of the Internet in China, the scale of elderly Internet users has growing rapidly, and the use of the Internet also has a significant impact on individuals. Based on the survey data of CGSS (2021), this paper first uses the binary Logit regression model to empirically analyze the influence of Internet use on the mental health of the elderly, then discusses the mechanism of the influence of Internet use on the mental health of the elderly, and finally analyzes the heterogeneity of different elderly groups. The study found that using the Internet had a significant positive impact on mental health. Older adults who use the Internet for social activities have better mental health than those who do not. In the process of using the Internet, the marital status plays a positive role in regulating the mental health of the elderly.