Media use and well-being in older adults: The mediating role of social inclusion and subjective accelerated aging

Aims: With the rise in global life expectancy, interest in older adults’ mental well-being is growing. Media use is currently seen as potentially contributing to well-being. The study is guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, positing that external stimuli are linked to internal processes and may be associated with specific outcomes. Accordingly, the study examines whether social inclusion and subjective accelerated aging mediate the association between media use and well-being in older adults. Methods: A structured questionnaire was distributed to older adults via multiple channels. The sample included 636 Israeli participants aged 64 and older. Mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the indirect association of media use with well-being through social inclusion and subjective accelerated aging. Results: In the mediation model, the direct association between media use and well-being was not significant. However, full mediation occurred through the proposed mediators. Media use was positively associated with social inclusion and negatively with subjective accelerated aging. Social inclusion was negatively associated with subjective accelerated aging and positively with well-being, whereas subjective accelerated aging was negatively associated with well-being. Conclusion: The study shows that media use is associated with better older adults’ well-being only by contributing to social inclusion and subjective accelerated aging. The findings strengthen the conceptualization of subjective accelerated aging as a meaningful construct. They also highlight the need to promote and strengthen digital literacy and media-based programs for adults, including integrating media use into community initiatives, which can promote a sense of inclusion, reduce subjective accelerated aging, and contribute to mental well-being.