Open Access

ARTICLE

Effect of Online Social Networking on Emotional Status and Its Interaction with Offline Reality during the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Xiaolin Lu^1,*, Xiaolei Miao²

1 Department of Physical Education, Xidian University, Xi’an, 710126, China
2 Department of Sociology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

* Corresponding Author: Xiaolin Lu. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2023, 25(9), 1041-1052. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2023.030232

Received 28 March 2023; Accepted 24 May 2023; Issue published 10 August 2023

Abstract

Background: During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in China, social interactions shifted to online spaces due to lock-downs and social distancing measures. As a result, the impact of online social networking on users’ emotional status has become stronger than ever. This study examines the association between online social networking and Internet users’ emotional status and how offline reality affects this relationship. Methods: The study utilizes cross-sectional online survey data (n = 3004) and Baidu Migration big data from the first 3 months of the pandemic. Two dimensions of online networking are measured: social support and information sources. Results: First, individuals’ online social support (β = 0.16, p < 0.05) and information sources (β = 0.08, p < 0.01) are both positively associated to their emotional status during the epidemic. Second, these positive associations are moderated by social status and provincial pandemic control interventions. With regards to the moderation effect of social status, the constructive impact of information sources on emotional well-being is more pronounced among individuals from vulnerable groups compared to those who are not. With regard to the moderation effect of provincial interventions, online social support has the potential to alleviate the adverse repercussions of high rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases and strict lockdown measures while simultaneously augmenting the favorable effects of recovery. Conclusion: The various dimensions of social networking exert distinct effects on emotional status through diverse mechanisms, all of which must be taken into account when designing and adapting pandemic-control interventions.

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