Digital leisure and psychological well-being in later life: Examining roles of active-constructive responses and gratitude

Use of information and communication technology for enjoyment, often identified as digital leisure, provides older adults with opportunities to experience leisure in innovative ways. Although perceived active-constructive responses from others within the context of digital leisure may be beneficial in later life, it remains unclear how perceived active-constructive responses during digital leisure can help older adults experience psychological well-being (PWB). To address this research gap, we examined a moderation model with active-constructive responses and gratitude to predict PWB. We collected data from 315 older adults engaging in digital leisure, and analyzed these data using multiple regression. Results indicated that perceived active-constructive responses and gratitude correlated positively with PWB. In addition, perceived activeconstructive responses interacted with gratitude. We discuss implications of these findings associated with PWB for older adults as they experience active-constructive responses from others and gratitude during digital leisure. (c) 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.