Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication Digital Communication Media Use and Psychological Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis Dong Liu 1 , Roy F. Baumeister 2 , Chia-chen Yang 3 & Baijing Hu 4 1 Department of Communication, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China, 100872 2 School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia 4000 3 School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Aviation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 4 Department of Communication, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China, 100872 The puzzle of whether digital media are improving or harming psychological well-being has been plaguing researchers and the public for decades. Derived from media richness theory, this study proposed that phone calls and texting improve well-being, while use of social network sites (SNSs), instant messaging (IM), and online gaming may displace other social contacts and, thereby, impair well-being. To test this hypothesis, a meta-analysis of 124 studies was conducted. The results showed that phone calls and texting were positively correlated with well-being, whereas online gaming was negatively associated with well-being. Furthermore, the relationship between digital media use and well-being was also contingent upon the way the technology was used. A series of meta-analyses of diferent types of SNS use and well-being was used to elucidate this point: interaction, self- presentation, and entertainment on SNSs were associated with better well-being, whereas consuming SNSs’ content was associated with poorer well-being. Keywords: Media Richness, Well-Being, Digital Media, Meta-Analysis doi:10.1093/ccc/zmz013 Since the 1990s, a burst of new communication technologies has inspired several waves of life changes among people throughout the world who have access to them. Each time a fresh digital medium has emerged, media scholars have debated whether these new technologies are potentially harmful or helpful to people’s psychological well-being. From mobile phones to Facebook, from instant messaging to Twitter, numerous studies have been published to assess whether the association of digital media use and psychological well-being is positive or negative. However, it appears that not only are there important diferences in how diferent digital media afect psychological well-being, but even the efects within the same media channels are not consistent (Deters & Mehl, 2012). Current literature focusing on the relationships of diferent online media and well-being is still rare. To seek order among the welter of Corresponding author: Roy F. Baumeister; e-mail: r.baumeister@psy.uq.edu.au. Editorial Record: First manuscript received on 26 May 2018; Revisions received on 23 October 2018, and 16 March 2019; Accepted by Dr. Mike Yao on 9 May 2019; Final manuscript received on 18 June 2019 Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 24 (2019) 259–274 © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf ofInternational Communication Association. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com 259 Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/24/5/259/5583692 by guest on 06 March 2023 RETRACTED Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/24/5/259/5583692 by guest on 23 March 2023