Preference for online social interaction and its psychological costs: Examining technostress and computer anxiety among middle-aged adults

With digital technologies increasingly penetrating every aspect of people’s daily lives, understanding their psychological effects on individuals has become critical. While online social interaction is a convenient way to maintain relationships, it may also involve psychological challenges; specifically, technostress and computer anxiety. Middle-aged adults, a demographic known to be less Internet-savvy than the younger generation, are especially vulnerable to these psychological challenges. Hence, this study aims to examine how a preference for online social interaction (POSI) influences computer anxiety and technostress among middle-aged adults (age: 30–50 years) and whether computer anxiety mediates the relationship between POSI and technostress. Survey data were collected from 304 respondents across several Indian cities and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that individuals with stronger POSI experience higher levels of computer anxiety and technostress. Additionally, computer anxiety significantly mediates the relationship between POSI and technostress, indicating that anxiety regarding computer use intensifies stress for individuals who prefer to socialise online. These results contribute to the understanding of digital well-being in middle-aged adults and offer important theoretical and practical implications, highlighting the need for strategies to reduce computer anxiety and mitigate technostress to promote healthier technology use in this demographic.