Does Age Matter? The Impact of Social Media Exposure on People’s Mental Health during the COVID Pandemic
Research output: Conference Papers › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (without host publication) › peer-review
Author(s)
Related Research Unit(s)
Detail(s)
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - Jun 2024 |
Conference
Title | 74th Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA 2024) |
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Location | Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre |
Place | Australia |
City | Gold Coast |
Period | 20 - 24 June 2024 |
Link(s)
Permanent Link | https://scholars.cityu.edu.hk/en/publications/publication(9d32e093-ef9b-41b0-bc27-f87bd00ab3ca).html |
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Abstract
This study investigates how social media exposure has affected individuals’ mental health during the
COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular emphasis on age differences. Given the contentious nature of this effect
observed in previous research, the study innovatively tackles the issue through two approaches. Drawing on the
protection motivation theory (PMT), the study demonstrates the indirect effect of social media exposure via threat and
coping appraisals. Second, the study considers age as a contextual factor, examining the unique patterns observed
within different age groups (young, middle-aged, and elderly). Analysis of two-wave panel survey data in Hong Kong
supports the utility of two appraisals as mediators. It also indicates that the young generation tends to adopt the
coping appraisal to enhance mental health, while middle-aged and elderly individuals employ threat appraisals to the
detriment of mental health. These findings have theoretical contributions and provide practical guidelines tailored to
different age groups.
Research Area(s)
Citation Format(s)
Does Age Matter? The Impact of Social Media Exposure on People’s Mental Health during the COVID Pandemic. / Liu, R.; Huang, Y.; Zhang, L.
2024. Paper presented at 74th Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA 2024), Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
2024. Paper presented at 74th Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA 2024), Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Research output: Conference Papers › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (without host publication) › peer-review