{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T14:33:35Z","timestamp":1787150015727,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100012456","name":"National Social Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["21AXW006"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["21AXW006"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100012456","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Although peripheral ties are essential for social integration, traditional aging theories suggest that they naturally atrophy as older adults withdraw from physical social settings and prioritize intimate relationships. Digital technologies, however, offer new affordances that enable older adults to actively sustain such ties. Through six online focus groups with 32 older Chinese WeChat users (aged 55\u201374), this study examines how older adults manage their peripheral networks in the digital environment. Three findings emerge. First, older adults maintain a distinct typology of digital peripheral ties\u2014Former Acquaintances, Present-day Acquaintances, and \u201cNet Friends.\u201d Second, they sustain these ties through strategically optimized observational engagement, tracking their networks with minimal interpersonal friction. Third, the benefits of these ties\u2014practical information, identity maintenance, and direct emotional companionship\u2014converge into a lightweight yet meaningful support circle that complements the strong-tie core. By uncovering these practices, this study shows that older adults are active curators of their digital social networks, providing empirical insight into the reconfiguration of late-life social convoys and design implications for age-friendly platforms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16081430","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T14:07:34Z","timestamp":1787148454000},"page":"1430","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A \u201cLightweight\u201d Support Circle: How Urban Chinese Older Adults Reconfigure Online Peripheral Ties Through Low-Cost Digital Practices"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Huijun","family":"Wu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Ge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21582440231210077","DOI":"10.1177\/21582440231210077","article-title":"The impact of virtual society on social capital formation: A comparative analysis of Facebook and Whatsapp","volume":"13","author":"Ali","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sage Open"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Anderl, C., and Utz, S. (2025). Examining the automaticity of ambient awareness via its persistence under cognitive load. Media Psychology, 1\u201323.","DOI":"10.1080\/15213269.2025.2549488"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"igx029","DOI":"10.1093\/geroni\/igx029","article-title":"Social relations and technology: Continuity, context, and change","volume":"1","author":"Antonucci","year":"2017","journal-title":"Innovation in Aging"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"471","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-psych-010419-050944","article-title":"Social media elements, ecologies, and effects","volume":"71","author":"Bayer","year":"2020","journal-title":"Annual Review of Psychology"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa","article-title":"Using thematic analysis in psychology","volume":"3","author":"Braun","year":"2006","journal-title":"Qualitative Research in Psychology"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1145\/3449197","article-title":"Challenging passive social media use: Older adults as caregivers online","volume":"5","author":"Brewer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Burke, M., Marlow, C., and Lento, T. (2010). Social network activity and social well-being. Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems, Association for Computing Machinery.","DOI":"10.1145\/1753326.1753613"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1037\/0882-7974.7.3.331","article-title":"Social and emotional patterns in adulthood: Support for socioemotional selectivity theory","volume":"7","author":"Carstensen","year":"1992","journal-title":"Psychology Aging"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1024569803230","article-title":"Socioemotional selectivity theory and the regulation of emotion in the second half of life","volume":"27","author":"Carstensen","year":"2003","journal-title":"Motivation and Emotion"},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"CNNIC (2025, June 25). The 55th statistical report on internet development in China, Available online: https:\/\/www.cnnic.cn\/n4\/2025\/0117\/c88-11229.html."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101293","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2021.12.005","article-title":"Social media use and well-being among older adults","volume":"45","author":"Cotten","year":"2022","journal-title":"Current Opinion in Psychology"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"zmac006","DOI":"10.1093\/jcmc\/zmac006","article-title":"Vicarious interactions in online support communities: The roles of visual anonymity and social identification","volume":"27","author":"Dai","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"150292","DOI":"10.1098\/rsos.150292","article-title":"Do online social media cut through the constraints that limit the size of offline social networks?","volume":"3","author":"Dunbar","year":"2016","journal-title":"Royal Society Open Science"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1143","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x","article-title":"The benefits of Facebook \u201cfriends\u201d: Social capital and college students\u2019 use of online social network sites","volume":"12","author":"Ellison","year":"2007","journal-title":"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"873","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444810385389","article-title":"Connection strategies: Social capital implications of Facebook-enabled communication practices","volume":"13","author":"Ellison","year":"2011","journal-title":"New Media & Society"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fricker, M. (2007). Epistemic injustice: Power and the ethics of knowing, Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/acprof:oso\/9780198237907.001.0001"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1360","DOI":"10.1086\/225469","article-title":"The strength of weak ties","volume":"78","author":"Granovetter","year":"1973","journal-title":"American Journal of Sociology"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20552076251336973","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076251336973","article-title":"Association between digital technology use and social capital among older adults: A systematic review","volume":"11","author":"Grotto","year":"2025","journal-title":"Digital Health"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1177\/1525822X05279903","article-title":"How many interviews are enough?: An experiment with data saturation and variability","volume":"18","author":"Guest","year":"2006","journal-title":"Field Methods"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.1080\/01972240290108195","article-title":"Strong, weak, and latent ties and the impact of new media","volume":"18","author":"Haythornthwaite","year":"2002","journal-title":"The Information Society"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huang, L. V. (2019). \u2018like\u2019 my coworkers: Organizational socialization and workplace relationship development using social media. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Social Media and Society, Association for Computing Machinery.","DOI":"10.1145\/3328529.3328539"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2016.02.080","article-title":"Senior citizens on Facebook: How do they interact and why?","volume":"61","author":"Jung","year":"2016","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"253","article-title":"Convoys over the life course: Attachment, roles, and social support","volume":"3","author":"Kahn","year":"1980","journal-title":"Life-Span Development and Behavior"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"737","DOI":"10.25300\/MISQ\/2018\/11492","article-title":"The needs\u2013affordances\u2013features perspective for the use of social media","volume":"42","author":"Karahanna","year":"2018","journal-title":"MIS Quarterly"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20563051211024958","DOI":"10.1177\/20563051211024958","article-title":"The strength of weak ties revisited: Further evidence of the role of strong ties in the provision of online social support","volume":"7","author":"Sauer","year":"2021","journal-title":"Social Media + Society"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.soc.28.110601.141107","article-title":"The study of boundaries in the social sciences","volume":"28","author":"Lamont","year":"2002","journal-title":"Annual Review of Sociology"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"714","DOI":"10.1017\/S1041610223004519","article-title":"The relationship between social media use and psychosocial outcomes in older adults: A systematic review","volume":"36","author":"Lei","year":"2024","journal-title":"International Psychogeriatrics"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2016.02.037","article-title":"Ambient awareness: From random noise to digital closeness in online social networks","volume":"60","author":"Levordashka","year":"2016","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lincoln, Y. S., and Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry, SAGE Publications.","DOI":"10.1016\/0147-1767(85)90062-8"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"369","DOI":"10.1037\/gpr0000091","article-title":"A meta-analysis of social networking online and social capital","volume":"20","author":"Liu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Review of General Psychology"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"913","DOI":"10.1177\/08944393231220487","article-title":"Social grooming on social media and older adults\u2019 life satisfaction: Testing a moderated mediation model","volume":"42","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Social Science Computer Review"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444814554064","article-title":"\u2018My children tell me it\u2019s so simple\u2019: A mixed-methods approach to understand older non-users\u2019 perceptions of social networking sites","volume":"19","year":"2017","journal-title":"New Media & Society"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e12729","DOI":"10.1111\/spc3.12729","article-title":"Social support from weak ties: Insight from the literature on minimal social interactions","volume":"17","author":"Moreton","year":"2023","journal-title":"Social and Personality Psychology Compass"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nonnecke, B., and Preece, J. (2000). Lurker demographics: Counting the silent. Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems, Association for Computing Machinery.","DOI":"10.1145\/332040.332409"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community, Simon and Schuster.","DOI":"10.1145\/358916.361990"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.1177\/0963721414551364","article-title":"Social networks in later life: Weighing positive and negative effects on health and well-being","volume":"24","author":"Rook","year":"2015","journal-title":"Current Directions in Psychological Science"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"272","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2014.06.006","article-title":"Notification pending: Online social support from close and nonclose relational ties via Facebook","volume":"38","author":"Rozzell","year":"2014","journal-title":"Computers in Human Behavior"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1080\/01292986.2018.1504976","article-title":"Personal ties, group ties and latent ties: Connecting network size to diversity and trust in the mobile social network WeChat","volume":"29","author":"Shen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Asian Journal of Communication"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1080\/00913367.2016.1252288","article-title":"Online focus groups","volume":"46","author":"Stewart","year":"2017","journal-title":"Journal of Advertising"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"zmac036","DOI":"10.1093\/jcmc\/zmac036","article-title":"To like or not to like? An experimental study on relational closeness, social grooming, reciprocity, and emotions in social media liking","volume":"28","author":"Stsiampkouskaya","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sunstein, C. R. (2006). Infotopia: How many minds produce knowledge, Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195189285.001.0001"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1080\/23808985.2013.11679130","article-title":"Social media use in organizations: Exploring the affordances of visibility, editability, persistence, and association","volume":"36","author":"Treem","year":"2013","journal-title":"Annals of the International Communication Association"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732314549602","article-title":"Lessons learned using Web conference technology for online focus group interviews","volume":"25","author":"Tuttas","year":"2015","journal-title":"Qualitative Health Research"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"530","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448211065425","article-title":"The associations of active and passive social media use with well-being: A critical scoping review","volume":"24","author":"Valkenburg","year":"2022","journal-title":"New Media & Society"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"480","DOI":"10.1037\/xge0000057","article-title":"Passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being: Experimental and longitudinal evidence","volume":"144","author":"Verduyn","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Experimental Psychology: General"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1080\/08838151.2012.732140","article-title":"The impact of context collapse and privacy on social network site disclosures","volume":"56","author":"Vitak","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"436","DOI":"10.1177\/00027640121957286","article-title":"Does the internet increase, decrease, or supplement social capital?","volume":"45","author":"Wellman","year":"2001","journal-title":"American Behavioral Scientist"},{"key":"ref_48","first-page":"JCMC834","article-title":"The social affordances of the Internet for networked individualism","volume":"8","author":"Wellman","year":"2003","journal-title":"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"741","DOI":"10.1080\/08838151.2021.1991350","article-title":"Should i click the \u201clike\u201d button for my colleague? Domesticating social media affordance in the workplace","volume":"65","author":"Zhu","year":"2021","journal-title":"Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media"}],"container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/8\/1430\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T14:13:33Z","timestamp":1787148813000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-328X\/16\/8\/1430"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"references-count":49,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["bs16081430"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/bs16081430","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-328X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-328X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]}}}