ArticleBMC public health2025
The impact of online social interaction on urban community cohesion and group differences: evidence from China.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- How Online Cross-Cutting and Like-Minded Interactions Relate with Emerging Adults' Prosocial Tendencies: Cognitive and Affective Empathy as Mediators.Psychology research and behavior management · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWith the advent of the digital age, online social interaction has become an important form of interpersonal communication. This increasing popularity of online interaction has led to a growing debate about its impact on community cohesion. However, the effects and mechanisms by which online social interaction affects community cohesion are not well understood. This study aims to investigate the correlations between online social interaction and community cohesion in the Chinese context.
methodsThis cross-sectional study examines urban community residents (n = 1037) across China's eastern, central, and western regions, with proportional sampling to ensure geographic representation. Data were collected via random questionnaires. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we empirically assess (1) the impact of online social interaction on community cohesion, (2) the underlying mechanisms, and (3) heterogeneity effects across demographic and regional subgroups.
resultsThe direct influence of online social interaction on community cohesion was significantly positive (β = 0.694, P = 0.000), and the indirect effect of social interaction on community cohesion through offline social interaction was also significantly positive(β = 0.243, P = 0.000). The effects of online social interaction on community cohesion show significant heterogeneity across demographic groups and geographic regions, being more pronounced among middle-aged residents (β = 0.901, P = 0.000), male residents (β = 0.727, P = 0.000), and married residents (β = 0.779, P = 0.000) relative to their respective counterparts. The effect magnitude in the eastern region (β = 0.784, P = 0.000) substantially exceeds that in both central and western regions.
conclusionThe findings indicate that online social interaction is an important factor affecting the formation of urban residents' community cohesion, and offline social interaction plays a mediating role. In addition, The association between online social interaction and community cohesion demonstrates significant heterogeneity across demographic and regional subgroups.
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