Sense of Presence and Subjective Well-Being in Online Pet Watching: The Moderation Role of Loneliness and Perceived Stress.

Zekun Zhou,Quan Gao,Duo Yin

doi:10.3390/ijerph17239093

Abstract

Watching videos/livestreams concerning pets is becoming an increasingly popular phenomenon among youth in China, thus the social dynamics and psychological impacts of this pet-centred online activities worth in-depth exploration. This study investigates the sensual experiences of the audiences who have watched pet videos/livestreams and examines how these online experiences influence their subjective well-being. We develop a conceptual model that bases on the relationships between telepresence, social presence, flow experience, and subjective well-being to comprehend this mechanism. The result of 439 samples indicates that both telepresence and social presence have significant positive effects on flow experience, and social presence also has a positive impact on subjective well-being. We also examine the role of loneliness and perceived stress in moderating the effects of online pet watching on subjective well-being, showing that loneliness has a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between social presence and flow experience, while perceived pressure has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between telepresence and flow experience. This study not only demonstrates the positive effect of an online pet on subjective well-being and but also uses interview data to comprehend the social processes underlying this effect. We also discuss the theoretical and practical values of this study in improving public health in the digital age.

Highlights

In recent years, the rapid development of information technology and the proliferation of mobile devices have profoundly affected the ways that our everyday life is organised and made sense of, especially in terms of the leisure activities [1] and public health [2]
This study focuses on online pet streaming, an emerging digital leisure mode, and tries to explore whether online pets have a positive impact on people’s subjective well-being and how it works
Based on the theory of presence, this study develops a conceptual model based on telepresence, social presence, flow experience, and subjective well-being

Summary

Introduction

The rapid development of information technology and the proliferation of mobile devices have profoundly affected the ways that our everyday life is organised and made sense of, especially in terms of the leisure activities [1] and public health [2]. It is important to note that we are all living in a digital age [3]. An increasing number of people have engaged in digital practices and space for leisure (e.g., YouTube, TikTok). As an extension of offline leisure activity [4], digital leisure’s impacts on subjective well-being have been found [5] and recognised [6]; the more nuanced dynamics regarding how digital leisure affects individual subjective well-being is still under-explored. The notions of “flow” the state of mind characterized by concentration and

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