This study examines the effects of social media (Weibo) influencer characteristics and user-related psychological factors on childbearing anxiety among young adults. In recent years, various childbearing-related topics, including declining birth r...
This study examines the effects of social media (Weibo) influencer characteristics and user-related psychological factors on childbearing anxiety among young adults. In recent years, various childbearing-related topics, including declining birth rates, childbearing policies, parenting burdens, career interruptions, and low Childbearing concerns, have been widely discussed on Weibo. Against this background, the study investigates how influencer-generated content and users’ psychological responses within social media environments contribute to the formation of childbearing anxiety. Influencer-related variables include MC and SI, while user-related variables include SE, social comparison, and engagement. Childbearing anxiety was treated as the dependent variable.
A survey was conducted among young adults who actively use Weibo. A total of 550 valid responses were collected and analyzed using SPSS 26.0. The analytical procedures included frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, multicollinearity diagnostics, and multiple regression analysis. Reliability analysis indicated that all constructs demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.90.
The results revealed that MC, SI, SE, and social comparison all had significant positive effects on childbearing anxiety. Among these factors, social comparison exerted the strongest influence. In contrast, engagement did not show a statistically significant effect. Correlation analysis further demonstrated that the major independent variables were positively associated with childbearing anxiety. The overall regression model was statistically significant (R² = .516, p 〈 .001), explaining 51.6% of the variance in childbearing anxiety.
The findings suggest that childbearing anxiety among young adults is influenced not simply by the frequency of social media use, but more importantly by the characteristics of influencer messages and users’ psychological information-processing mechanisms. The strong effect of social comparison indicates that repeated comparisons with others in social media environments can substantially increase perceptions of uncertainty and burden regarding future childbearing. Furthermore, the non-significant effect of engagement suggests that internal cognitive processes, such as message interpretation, SE, and social comparison, play a more important role than overt behavioral interactions.
This study provides empirical evidence that social media environments, particularly influencer-driven communication on Weibo, are associated with the formation of childbearing anxiety among young adults. The findings offer practical implications for media literacy education, platform governance, and policy discussions aimed at reducing childbearing anxiety and fostering a healthier information environment for young adults.