The Relationship between Addictive Use of Short-Video Platforms and Marital Satisfaction in Older Chinese Couples: An Asymmetrical Dyadic Process

Abstract

Increasing evidence indicates that the addictive use of social media can have a detrimental effect on marital satisfaction, due mainly to the decrease in time and focus given to one’s spouse. However, the impact of social media use among older couples remains under-investigated, and the research that does exist relies on individual-level data that do not allow the exploration of the dynamics between the dyadic partners. Therefore, the present study focused on older adults’ use of short-video platforms, as these have been shown to be particularly addictive for older adults. A sample of 264 older couples was gathered (meanage = 68.02, SD = 8.68), and both spouses completed surveys reporting addictive use of short-video platforms, negative emotions, and marital satisfaction. Using an actor–partner interdependence model, we found an asymmetrical dyadic process in that the addictive use of short-video platforms by the wives was not only related to their own negative emotions, but also those of their spouse, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Meanwhile, addictive use by the husbands seemed to relate only to their own increased negative emotions, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Together, the findings from this study reveal dyadic dynamics with delineated pathways through which the addictive use of short-video platforms can damage older couples’ interactive processes and marital satisfaction.