The digital world is a vital place to connect with others. This study investigates individual differences in experiencing relatedness through new technologies, or “digital relatedness.” The study is grounded in a novel framework that combines social and digital capital and self-determination theory perspectives. We used a three-wave survey conducted from 2021 to 2023 involving 1226 Finnish adults and applied random effects within-between models for data analysis. The results show positive within- and between-person effects of a preference for interacting with artificially intelligent systems (over humans) and the use of smart technology on digital relatedness as well as positive between-person effects of a sense of local community belonging. The positive effect of using smart technology was particularly evident for individuals with a lower or medium level of local community belonging. The results suggest that frequent technology use can enhance digital relatedness, especially for those less connected to their local community.

中文翻译：

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数字关联性：社会资源和智能技术使用的纵向研究


数字世界是与他人联系的重要场所。本研究调查了通过新技术或“数字关联性”体验关联性的个体差异。该研究以一个新颖的框架为基础，该框架结合了社会和数字资本以及自决理论的观点。我们使用了 2021 年至 2023 年进行的三波调查，涉及 1226 名芬兰成年人，并应用了介于两者之间的模型内的随机效应进行数据分析。结果显示，偏好与人工智能系统交互（而不是人类）和智能技术对数字关联性的使用对人内部和人与人之间的积极影响，以及当地社区归属感的积极人际效应。使用智能技术的积极影响对于当地社区归属感较低或中等水平的个人尤为明显。结果表明，频繁使用技术可以增强数字相关性，尤其是对于那些与当地社区联系较少的人。