Social media use and subjective well-being among middle-aged consumers in Korea: Mediation model of social capital moderated by disability

This study investigated the moderating effect of disability on the relationship between middle-aged consumers' well-being and their social media use, through the mediating effect of social capital. The study used data from the South Korean National Information Society Agency's “2018 Information Divide Index Dataset.” The results showed consumers with disabilities to be less active on social media, implying that they are likely to experience restrictions on social media use, regardless of degree of disability. Degree of disability had significant moderating effects on the relationship between social media use and subjective well-being, mediated by bonding social capital. Although bonding social capital mediated the relationship between social media use and well-being for all consumers, the effect was stronger for consumers with severe disabilities.