Examining associations between university students' mobile social media use, online self-presentation, social support and sense of belonging

• Published in: Aslib journal of information management Vol. 72; no. 3; pp. 321 - 338
• Main Author: Pang, Hua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 16.06.2020; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Communication; Correlation analysis; Digital media; Hypotheses; Internet; Mental health; Multivariate statistical analysis; Recreational use; Social networks; Social research; Social support; Students; University students; Wireless networks; China; Online self-presentation; WeChat; Sense of belonging; Mobile social media; Social support
• ISSN: 2050-3806; 1758-3748
• DOI: 10.1108/AJIM-08-2019-0202

PurposeThe primary objectives of the article are to systematically investigate the effects of differentiated functions of WeChat use (social use and recreational use) on university students' online self-presentation, social support and sense of belonging.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from a web-based survey on a sample of 485 university students in mainland China. Correlation analyses and structural equation modeling (SEM) were implemented to address the corresponding hypotheses.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the social use of WeChat is positively related to online self-presentation, whereas recreational use is unrelated to such behavior. Additionally, the findings verify that online self-presentation is a significant predictor of both social support and sense of belonging. Furthermore, online self-presentation could mediate the influence of social use of WeChat on social support and sense of belonging.Research limitations/implicationsTheoretically, the study represents an initial effort to elucidate the joint impact of differentiated functions of WeChat use and online self-presentation on social support and sense of belonging. Practically, these findings identify the crucial mediation role of online self-presentation in assisting individuals to acquire social support and promote sense of belonging.Originality/valueAlthough mobile social media has brought dramatic revolutions in interaction and interpersonal behaviors, the empirically studies regarding the potential influences of its utilization are equivocal. These outcomes may shed meaningful light on the comprehending of unique characteristics of WeChat communication and how it could impact people's psychosocial development in the digital era.