AI companions and subjective well-being: Moderation by social connectedness and loneliness
Analyses cross-sectional data from 14,721 Japanese adults (nationwide internet panels, December 2024-January 2025) on AI-companion use and subjective well-being. Finds the positive association is strongest among highly lonely users, with a U-shaped moderation by friend-based social support.
Publisher
Technology in Society (Elsevier)
Published
1 Apr 2026
Added
today
Key Findings
- Positive associations between AI-companion use and subjective well-being were strongest among the loneliest users
- Social connectedness moderated the effect in a U-shaped pattern (benefits greatest at moderate connection)
- Provides large-scale non-Western evidence on how companion use interacts with loneliness and social support
Methodology Notes
Peer-reviewed, Technology in Society vol. 85 (2026), DOI 10.1016/j.techsoc.2026.103229. Cross-sectional survey, n=14,721 Japanese adults, fielded Dec 2024-Jan 2025; exact day of publication not stated (issue dated April 2026); author initials partially abbreviated pending confirmation from the article page (sciencedirect.com bot-blocks fetchers; metadata confirmed via Crossref).
Sources
Technology in Society article (primary)
Authors
Atsushi Nakagomi, Y. Akutsu, M. Yasuoka, N. Abe, S. Ihara, T. Teroh, Takahiro Tabuchi
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Cite This
APA
Atsushi Nakagomi et al. (2026). AI companions and subjective well-being: Moderation by social connectedness and loneliness. Technology in Society (Elsevier). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X26000187
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