Factors affecting bridge employment behavior: Surveying Chinese older adults as anchors in social media

Social media has brought new opportunities to bridge employment and has become an essential channel for addressing the issue of an aging society. This study aims to explore the factors influencing bridge employment behavior among older adults on social media platforms. This analysis collected 757 older adults from China who continue to work as anchors in social media after retiring. Data collection was conducted over ten days via structured questionnaires divided into eight sections. Furthermore, this study conducts structural equation modeling (SEM) to process the data. The results indicate that social capital (beta = 0.183, p = 0.004) and bridge employment policies (beta = 0.123, p = 0.031) have a significant positive impact on intention to bridge employment. Subjective norms (beta = 0.197, p < 0.001), attitudes (beta = 0.204, p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control (beta= 0.147, p = 0.004) also positively and significantly influence intention to bridge employment. Subjective norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control serve as crucial mediators in the relationship between social capital, bridge employment policies, and intention to bridge employment. Finally, intention (beta = 0.480, p = 0.001) is a strong predictor of bridge employment behavior and acts as a mediator within the model. The findings suggest that enhancing social capital and well-structured employment policies can significantly influence older adults’ acceptance and sustained participation in bridge employment on social media platforms.