Media Use for Strong and Weak Ties: A Configural Examination of Personal Media System and Well-Being

Taking a configural approach to personal media use, this study examined how strong- and weak-tie media configuration relate to digital stress and well-being. Using a sample of 1,197 U.S. adults (analytic N = 1,143), we explored how media configuration attributes (size, density, and centralization by tie strength, and homogeneity) are associated with well-being, directly and indirectly through five dimensions of digital stress (overconnectivity, communication overload, deficient self-regulation, self-presentation pressure, and technological frustration). Our results highlight the importance of maintaining a larger, more interconnected, and centralized weak-tie configuration, and overall, a more uniform configuration, for well-being benefits (direct and indirect). Notably, larger weak-tie configuration is indirectly associated with lower well-being through greater technological frustration, while larger strong-tie configuration is indirectly associated with higher well-being through lower technological frustration. These findings emphasize the relational context of communication media use and suggest tie-specific strategies for managing communication flows and supporting well-being.