How change in sociality over time moderates the association between mobile and social media use and well-being

Abstract Mobile and social media are often identified as a means of enhancing social connection for those who wish to connect. In line with research on relational maintenance and the communicate bond belong theory, a need for connection can drive individuals to reach out to relational partners through mobile and social media, which might boost overall well-being. Using 3 longitudinal datasets that differ by time period (i.e., 6 years, 1 year, 1 month) and context (i.e., older adults’ pandemic-era communication, college student communication with friends, daily diary study of social media use), we test whether change in sociality moderates the association between frequency of mobile and social media use and well-being. In contrast to our hypothesis, when experiencing declines in sociality, the use of mobile and social media was either unrelated to well-being or associated with a decline in well-being. These findings challenge long-held assumptions about relational maintenance through media.