Personality Traits and Longitudinal Trajectories of Perceived Importance of the Internet Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Latent Growth Modeling Study

As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in everyday life, middle-aged and older adults’ perceptions of the importance of the Internet may change over time. However, longitudinal evidence on these changes and their personality-related heterogeneity remains limited. This study examined longitudinal trajectories of perceived Internet importance and their associations with Big Five personality traits among middle-aged and older adults in China. Data were obtained from the 2018, 2020, and 2022 waves of the China Family Panel Studies and included 4790 participants aged ≥ 45 years. Perceived Internet importance was assessed across entertainment, social interaction, learning, and commercial activities. After examining longitudinal measurement invariance, latent growth models were used to estimate initial levels, linear change, and interindividual variability and to examine associations of baseline personality traits with the intercept and slope factors. Perceived Internet importance increased from 2018 to 2022, with significant between-person variation in both initial levels and rates of change. Higher extraversion and openness were associated with higher initial levels but slower subsequent increases, whereas higher neuroticism was associated with a lower initial level but a greater subsequent increase. Conscientiousness and agreeableness were primarily associated with initial levels. After additional adjustment for health and socioeconomic factors, several smaller associations were attenuated, whereas associations involving openness and neuroticism remained comparatively robust. Perceived Internet importance increased over time but followed heterogeneous trajectories. Big Five personality traits showed generally small and differential associations with these trajectories, with comparatively robust associations observed for openness and neuroticism.