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Exploring digital use, happiness, and loneliness in Japan with the experience sampling method
Yijun Chen1,2, Xiaochu Zhang3, Rei Akaishi4,5
1Social Value Decision-Making Collaboration Unit, RIKEN Center for Brain Science BTCC TOYOTA Collaboration Center, Saitama, Japan. yj620@mail.ustc.edu.cn.
Npj Mental Health Research
|December 6, 2024
Summary
Digital communication has minor direct effects on happiness and loneliness. However, increased digital use significantly reduces face-to-face interactions, indirectly impacting loneliness, especially with one-to-many online communication.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Communication Studies
Background:
- Smartphones are integral to modern life, prompting concerns about mental health impacts, particularly in youth.
- Previous research on digital communication's mental health effects shows inconsistent results, potentially due to unexamined communication mode interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction effects between online and offline communication modes and private versus public communication types on mental well-being.
- To clarify the complex relationship between digital device usage and psychological outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Employed the experience sampling method with 418 Japanese participants over 21 days.
- Utilized multilevel models and psychometric network models for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Direct effects of digital use on happiness and loneliness were minimal, with public (one-to-many) online communication showing a slight impact.
- Increased digital engagement substantially decreased offline communication time.
- Reduced face-to-face interaction significantly influenced loneliness levels indirectly.
Conclusions:
- The indirect impact of reduced face-to-face communication is a major factor in digital technology's effect on loneliness.
- One-to-many online communication plays a significant role, potentially explaining varied findings in prior studies.
- Understanding communication mode interactions is crucial for a nuanced view of digital life's mental health consequences.
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