Social Media Use and Personal Relative Deprivation Among Urban Residents in China: A Moderated Mediation Model

TL;DR

This study explores how social media use affects personal relative deprivation among urban residents in China, finding that it can have a positive impact on mental health.

Contribution

The study introduces a moderated mediation model to understand the relationship between social media use and PRD in a Chinese context.

Findings

Social media use is negatively associated with personal relative deprivation.

Subjective social status mediates the relationship between social media use and PRD.

Belief in a just world strengthens the links between social media use and PRD.

Abstract

Personal relative deprivation (PRD) is closely linked to a range of mental health problems. In the digital era, the association between social media use and PRD has received increasing attention. However, most studies have been conducted in Western contexts, and the underlying mechanisms in China remain unclear. This study examined the relationship between social media use and PRD among 2504 adult urban residents in China. Based on relative deprivation theory, it further explored the mediating role of subjective social status and the moderating role of belief in a just world. Results revealed that social media use was negatively associated with PRD. Subjective social status mediated this relationship: social media use was positively associated with subjective social status, while subjective social status was negatively associated with PRD. Moreover, belief in a just world strengthened the direct negative link between social media use and PRD, as well as the positive link between social media use and subjective social status. These findings suggest that social media are not always a risk factor for mental health. Their impact should be considered within specific cultural contexts and regulatory policies.

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