Communication Networks and Individual Resilience for Individual Well-Being During a Time of Crisis.

ABSTRACT

The deprivation of offline communication necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic raises questions about whether and how external social resources and internal ability lead individuals to maintain their well-being. However, most research on the two factors, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been based on cross-sectional survey data during the early lockdowns and focused on each factor separately. Combining the two lines of research, this study investigates how individuals' communication networks and resilience interacted with each other and influenced individual well-being at two time points during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the two-wave online panel survey data gathered from 708 Korean adults, this study suggests that individual well-being depends on strong ties and emotional support, and that their offline support influences their well-being differently depending on their level of resilience. Implications for understanding the transformed roles of communication networks and the complex dynamics of offline support together with individual resilience on individual well-being are discussed.