Evolution and Drivers of Online Social Support Among Adolescents and College Students: A Cross‐Temporal Meta‐Analytic Study

INTRODUCTION: This cross-temporal meta-analysis examined 16-year trends (2006-2022) in online social support among Chinese adolescents and college students, aiming to address an underexplored area in developmental and longitudinal research. METHODS: Analyses included 86 studies conducted in mainland China (N = 66,059; 41.68% male; Mage = 18.01 ± 2.4; data collected from 2006 to 2022). The Adolescent Online Social Support Questionnaire assessed informational, emotional, instrumental, and companionship support. Multilevel modeling evaluated associations with socioeconomic indicators (GDP, consumption, income), socio-educational indicators (education funding), and social network indicators (internet penetration, per capita weekly internet usage hours), with stratified analyses by gender, urban-rural residence, and only-child status. RESULTS: (1) Trends: Sustained increases in online social support were observed, with marked growth in informational and instrumental support, moderate increases in companionship, and stable emotional support. (2) Age disparities: College students showed faster increases in emotional and companionship support. (3) Gender patterns: Males showed consistent increases across all dimensions, while females experienced declines in emotional support. Gender differences favored males in instrumental and females in emotional support. (4) Demographics: Higher support levels were found among urban youth and only children. (5) Macro-level correlates: Societal indicators were positively associated with informational, instrumental, and companionship support, but negatively associated with emotional support. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore age-specific developmental trajectories and highlight the role of socio-technological transformation in shaping online social support. Future research should integrate standardized longitudinal cohorts with digital behavioral traces.