The impact of Internet use on older adults' attitudes toward positive aging: evidence from China.

Internet use has a significant positive impact on the rejuvenation of age identity in older adults.

• Analysis was based on 2018 survey data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS)
• A linear regression model was adopted for empirical analysis
• Robustness was tested using both instrumental variable method and Propensity-Score-Matching (PSM) method
• The finding held after controlling for potential confounding factors and endogeneity

The relationship between Internet use and age identity in older adults is partially mediated by life satisfaction.

• Mediation analysis was conducted using the Process 3.0 plugin of SPSS
• Life satisfaction served as one of two mediating pathways between Internet use and age identity
• The mediation was partial, meaning Internet use retained a direct effect on age identity beyond its indirect effect through life satisfaction

Health comparison with peers mediates the relationship between Internet use and age identity, with a stronger mediating effect than life satisfaction.

• Both life satisfaction and health comparison with peers were confirmed as mediators using Process 3.0 in SPSS
• Health comparison with peers exhibited a stronger mediating effect than life satisfaction
• The mediation through health comparison with peers was also partial

Online functions related to life services and social interaction had a significantly greater influence on age identity than entertainment and information functions.

• Four categories of online functions were examined: life services, social interaction, entertainment, and information
• Life services and social interaction functions exerted significantly greater influence on the rejuvenation of age identity compared to entertainment and information functions
• This differential effect by function type was a specific finding from the sub-analysis of Internet use types