Online Social Support: Just as Valuable as Offline Social Support?

Over the past 15 years, internet and phone technologies have introduced new ways to communicate. Substantial research has shown that social support can positively impact psychological well-being. However, few studies have explored the varying impacts of online and offline social support. This study measures how offline and online social support differentially influence psychological well-being. To do this, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was adapted for both offline and online contexts. To validate these altered scales, the Social Support Questionnaire was administered to see how strongly the measures correlate. To measure well-being, the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-being was administered as well. Finally, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale was administered to see if participants presented themselves in an overly positive light. Results confirmed the reliability and validity of both offline and online versions of the MSPSS. Both offline and online social support predicted increased well-being. There were no significant differences in online social support between online game players and those who spent little time playing online games. Those who spent less time playing online games with friends did not have any meaningful difference in offline support compared to those who spent more time playing games. Finally, online support was a slightly better predictor of well-being than offline support.