How does WeChat’s active engagement with health information contribute to psychological well-being through social capital?
Pages 657 - 673
Abstract
This study aims to examine how the users’ engagement with health information benefits their well-being and to demonstrate the underlying mechanism of the relationships through bonding and bridging social capital. An online survey was conducted with 522 WeChat users in China. Structural equation modeling using the maximum likelihood of estimation was employed to test the study’s hypothesized model. Bootstrapping methods were used to examine mediation effects. The results revealed that users’ liking, sharing, and commenting behaviors were positively related to the bonding and bridging capital accumulated on WeChat. These two forms of social capital were also positively associated with users’ psychological well-being, though bridging capital exerted more power in our research model. Moreover, both bonding and bridging capital mediated the relationship between WeChat affordances and psychological well-being. The findings shed new light on directions for leveraging mobile social media as an alternative means to bring about improvements in well-being in mobile-phone-saturated China. This is likely to be the first study that examines the mediating roles of bonding and bridging social capital on the relationship between users’ health information engagement and users’ psychological well-being. By providing robust findings by adopting the variable-centered approach in a health context, the findings of this study are promising for the extension and theoretical development of mobile social media research in the context of health information engagement.
References
[1]
Alhabash S and McAlister AR Redefining virality in less broad strokes: predicting viral behavioral intentions from motivations and uses of Facebook and Twitter New Media Soc. 2015 17 1317-1339
[2]
Ang CS, Talib MA, Tan KA, Tan JP, and Yaacob SN Understanding computer-mediated communication attributes and life satisfaction from the perspectives of uses and gratifications and self-determination Comput. Hum. Behav. 2015 49 20-29
[3]
Bollen K and Lennox R Conventional wisdom on measurement: a structural equation perspective Psychol. Bull. 1991 110 305-314
[4]
Brodie RJ, Ilic A, Juric B, and Hollebeek L Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: an exploratory analysis J. Bus. Res. 2013 66 1 105-114
[5]
Burke, M., Kraut, R.E.: Growing closer on Facebook: changes in tie strength through social network site use. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, pp. 4187–4196. (2014)
[6]
Burke M and Kraut RE The relationship between Facebook use and well-being depends on communication type and tie strength J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2016 21 265-281
[7]
Burke, M., Kraut, R.E., Marlow, C.: Social capital on Facebook: differentiating uses and users. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, pp. 571–580. (2011) https://doi.org/
[8]
Burke, M., Marlow, C., Lento, T.: Social network activity and social well-being. In: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. ACM, pp. 1909–1912. (2010),
[9]
Carr CT, Wohn DY, and Hayes RA As social support: relational closeness, automaticity, and interpreting social support from paralinguistic digital affordances in social media Comput. Hum. Behav. 2016 62 385-393
[10]
Chan M Mobile phones and the good life: examining the relationships among mobile use, social capital and subjective well-being New Media Soc. 2015 17 96-113
[11]
Chan M Digital communications and psychological well-being across the life span: examining the intervening roles of social capital and civic engagement Telemat. Inform. 2018 35 6 1744-1754
[12]
Cheikh-Ammar M and Barki H The influence of social presence, social exchange and feedback features on SNS continuous use: the Facebook context J. Organ. End User Comput. 2016 28 2 33-52
[13]
Chen HT and Li X The contribution of mobile social media to social capital and psychological well-being: examining the role of communicative use, friending and self-disclosure Comput. Hum. Behav. 2017 75 958-965
[14]
Chen L, Yang X, Fu L, Liu X, and Yuan C Using the extended parallel process model to examine the nature and impact of breast cancer prevention information on mobile-based social media: content analysis JMIR mHealth uHealth 2019 7 6 e13987
[15]
China Internet Network Information Center (2020). The 46th China statistical report on internet development. http://www.cac.gov.cn/2020-09/29/c_1602939918747816.htm Accessed 10 October 2020
[16]
Chiu, C., Ip, C., Silverman, A.: Understanding social media in China. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/understanding-social-media-in-china# Accessed April 08, 2020
[17]
Cinelli, M., Quattrociocchi, W., Galeazzi, A., Valensise, C.M., Brugnoli, E., Schmidt, A.L. et al.: The covid-19 social media infodemic. ArXiv Preprints. Retrieved from https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.05004 Accessed May 20, 2020
[18]
Diener ED, Wirtz D, Biswas-Diener R, Tov W, Kim-Prieto C, Choi DW, and Oishi S Diener ED New measures of well-being Assessing well-being 2009 New York Springer 247-266
[19]
Donath J Signals in social supernets J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2007 13 231-251
[20]
Ellison NB, Steinfield C, and Lampe C The benefits of Facebook “friends:” Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2007 12 1143-1168
[21]
Ellison NB, Vitak J, Gray R, and Lampe C Cultivating social resources on social network sites: Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and their role in social capital processes J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2014 19 855-870
[22]
Fornell C and Larcker DF Structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error: Algebra and statistics J. Mark. Res. 1981 18 3 382-388
[23]
Gan C Understanding WeChat users' liking behavior: an empirical study in China Comput. Hum. Behav. 2017 68 30-39
[24]
Gerlitz C and Helmond A The like economy: social buttons and the data-intensive web New Media Soc. 2013 15 8 1348-1365
[25]
Granovetter M The strength of weak ties Am. J. Sociol. 1973 78 1360-1379
[26]
Granovetter M The strength of weak ties: a network theory revisited Sociol. Theory 1983 1 201-233
[27]
Guo Y, Li Y, and Ito N Exploring the predicted effect of social networking site use on perceived social capital and psychological well-being of Chinese international students in Japan Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 2014 17 52-58
[28]
Hayes AF Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach 2013 New York The Guilford Press
[29]
Hayes RA, Carr CT, and Wohn DY One click, many meanings: Interpreting paralinguistic digital affordances in social media J. Broadcast. Electron. Media 2016 60 1 171-187
[30]
Haythornthwaite C Social networks and Internet connectivity effects Inf. Commun. Soc. 2005 8 125-147
[31]
Helliwell JF and Putnam RD The social context of well-being Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B 2004 359 1435-1446
[32]
Huang C Internet use and psychological well-being: a meta-analysis Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 2010 13 241-249
[33]
Hu LT and Bentler PM Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives Struct. Equ. Modeling 1999 6 1-55
[34]
Huta V Reinecke L and Oliver MB An overview of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being concepts The Routledge handbook of media use and well-being: International perspectives on theory and research on positive media effects 2016 New York Routledge 14-33
[35]
Kaur W, Balakrishnan V, Rana O, and Sinniah A Liking, sharing, commenting and reacting on Facebook: user behaviors’ impact on sentiment intensity Telemat. Inform. 2019 39 25-36
[36]
Khan ML Social media engagement: what motivates user participation and consumption on YouTube? Comput. Hum. Behav. 2017 66 236-247
[37]
Ko HC and Kuo FY Can blogging enhance subjective well-being through self-disclosure? Cyberpsychol. Behav. 2009 12 1 75-79
[38]
Ledbetter AM, Mazer JP, DeGroot JM, Meyer KR, Mao Y, and Swafford B Attitudes toward online social connection and self-disclosure as predictors of Facebook communication and relational closeness Commun. Res. 2011 38 27-53
[39]
Lee S, Chung JE, and Park N Network environments and well-being: An examination of personal network structure, social capital, and perceived social support Health Commun. 2018 33 22-31
[40]
Lee SY, Hansen SS, and Lee JK What makes us click “like” on Facebook? Examining psychological, technological, and motivational factors on virtual endorsement Comput. Commun. 2016 73 332-341
[41]
Lin N Lin N, Cook K, and Burt RS Building a network theory of social capital Social capital theory and research 2001 Boca Raton Routledge 1-28
[42]
Lin N Social capital: a theory of social structure and action 2001 Cambridge Cambridge University Press
[43]
Liu M, Yan Y, and Sun Y Exploring health information sharing behavior among Chinese older adults: a social support perspective Health Commun. 2019 34 14 1824-1832
[44]
Lup K, Trub L, and Rosenthal L Instagram# instasad?: exploring associations among instagram use, depressive symptoms, negative social comparison, and strangers followed Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 2015 18 247-252
[45]
Lustria MLA Can interactivity make a difference? effects of interactivity on the comprehension of and attitudes toward online health content J. Assoc. Inf. Sci. Technol. 2007 58 6 766-776
[46]
Maksl A and Young R Affording to exchange: social capital and online information sharing Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 2013 16 588-592
[47]
Malinowski B Laver J and Hutchinson S Phatic communion Communication in face-to-face interaction 1972 Harmondsworth Penguin Books 146-152
[48]
Marino C, Gini G, Vieno A, and Spada MM The associations between problematic Facebook use, psychological distress and well-being among adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis J. Affect. Disord. 2017 226 274-281
[49]
Miller V New media, networking and phatic culture Convergence 2008 14 4 387-400
[50]
Moorhead SA, Hazlett DE, Harrison L, Carroll JK, Irwin A, and Hoving C A new dimension of health care: systematic review of the uses, benefits, and limitations of social media for health communication J. Med. Internet Res. 2013 15 4 e85
[51]
Nass C and Mason L Fulk J and Steinfield C On the study of technology and task: a variable-based approach Organizations and communication technology 1990 Newbury Park Sage 46-67
[52]
Norman DA Affordance, conventions, and design Interactions 1999 6 38-43
[53]
Oeldorf-Hirsch A, High AC, and Christensen JL Count your calories and share them: health benefits of sharing mHealth information on social networking sites Health Commun. 2019 34 10 1130-1140
[54]
Oeldorf-Hirsch A and Sundar SS Posting, commenting, and tagging: effects of sharing news stories on Facebook Comput. Hum. Behav. 2015 44 240-249
[55]
O’Sullivan PB and Carr CT Masspersonal communication: a model bridging the mass-interpersonal divide New Media Soc. 2018 20 3 1161-1180
[56]
Pang H Exploring the beneficial effects of social networking site use on Chinese students’ perceptions of social capital and psychological well-being in Germany Int. J. Intercult. Relat. 2018 67 1-11
[57]
Park N, Jin B, and Jin SAA Effects of self-disclosure on relational intimacy in Facebook Comput. Hum. Behav. 2011 27 1974-1983
[58]
Petersen C and Johnston KA The impact of social media usage on the cognitive social capital of university students Informing Sci. 2015 18 1-31
[59]
Petz G, Karpowicz M, Fürschuß H, Auinger A, Stříteský V, and Holzinger A Computational approaches for mining user's opinions on the Web 2.0 Inf. Process. Manag. 2014 50 6 899-908
[60]
Petz, G., Karpowicz, M., Fürschuß, H., Auinger, A., Stříteský, V., Holzinger, A.: Opinion mining on the Web 2.0 - Characteristics of user generated content and their impacts. In: International Workshop on Human-Computer Interaction and Knowledge Discovery in Complex, Unstructured, Big Data. Springe, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 35–46, (2013)
[61]
Putnam R Bowling alone: the collapse and revival of American community 2000 New York Simon and Schuster
[62]
Rubin AM Bryant J and Oliver MB The uses-and-gratifications perspective of media effects Media effects: advances in theory and research 2009 3 New York Routledge 165-184
[63]
Sagioglou C and Greitemeyer T Facebook’s emotional consequences: why Facebook causes a decrease in mood and why people still use it Comput. Hum. Behav. 2014 35 359-363
[64]
Smock AD, Ellison NB, Lampe C, and Wohn DY Facebook as a toolkit: a uses and gratification approach to unbundling feature use Comput. Hum. Behav. 2011 27 6 2322-2329
[65]
Stavrositu C and Sundar SS Does blogging empower women? Exploring the role of agency and community J. Comput.-Mediat. Commun. 2012 17 4 369-386
[66]
Steinfield C, Ellison NB, and Lampe C Social capital, self-esteem, and use of online social network sites: a longitudinal analysis J. Appl. Dev. Psychol. 2008 29 434-445
[67]
Strekalova YA Health risk information engagement and amplification on social media: news about an emerging pandemic on Facebook Health Educ. Behav. 2017 44 2 332-339
[68]
Sum S, Mathews MR, Pourghasem M, and Hughes I Internet technology and social capital: how the Internet affects seniors’ social capital and wellbeing J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2008 14 202-220
[69]
Sundar SS Konijn EA, Utz S, Tanis M, and Barnes SB Self as source: agency and customization in interactive media Mediated interpersonal communication 2008 New York Routledge 58-74
[70]
Sundar SS Nabi RL and Oliver MB Media effects 2.0: social and psychological effects of communication technologies The SAGE handbook of media processes and effects 2009 Thousand Oaks Sage 545-560
[71]
Sumner EM, Ruge-Jones L, and Alcorn D A functional approach to the Facebook Like button: an exploration of meaning, interpersonal functionality, and potential alternative response buttons New Media Soc. 2018 20 4 1451-1469
[72]
Tichon JG and Shapiro M The process of sharing social support in cyberspace Cyberpsychol. Behav. 2003 6 2 161-170
[73]
The Statistics Portal (2020) Number of monthly active WeChat users from 2nd quarter 2010 to 3rd quarter 2020 (in millions) Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/255778/number-of-active-wechat-messenger-accounts/ Accessed 04 January 2021
[74]
Tong S and Walther JB Wright KB and Webb LM Relational maintenance and CMC Computer-mediated communication in personal relationships 2011 New York Peter Lang 98-118
[75]
Tufekci Z Grooming, gossip, Facebook and MySpace: What can we learn about these sites from those who won't assimilate? Inf. Commun. Soc. 2008 11 544-564
[76]
Utz S The function of self-disclosure on social network sites: not only intimate, but also positive and entertaining self-disclosures increase the feeling of connection Comput. Hum. Behav. 2015 45 1-10
[77]
Valkenburg PM and Peter J Social consequences of the Internet for adolescents: a decade of research Curr. Dir. Psychol. Sci. 2009 18 1 1-5
[78]
Vergeer M and Pelzer B Consequences of media and Internet use for offline and online network capital and well-being. a causal model approach J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2009 15 189-210
[79]
Wang H, Chua V, and Stefanone MA Social ties, communication channels, and personal well-being: a study of the networked lives of college students in Singapore Am. Behav. Sci. 2015 59 1189-1202
[80]
Wang JL, Jackson LA, Gaskin J, and Wang HZ The effects of Social Networking Site (SNS) use on college students’ friendship and well-being Comput. Hum. Behav. 2014 37 229-236
[81]
Wang W, Zhuang X, and Shao P Exploring health information sharing behavior of Chinese elderly adults on WeChat Healthcare. 2020 8 3 207-222
[82]
Wei R, Huang J, and Zheng P Use of mobile social apps for public communication in China: gratifications as antecedents of reposting articles from WeChat public accounts Mob. Media Commun. 2017 6 108-126
[83]
Williams D On and off the ’Net: scales for social capital in an online era J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2006 11 593-628
[84]
Wright, K., Craig, E., Cunningham, C., Igiel, M., Ploeger, N.: Will you (still) be my friend? Computer-mediated relational maintenance on Facebook. com. In: 94th Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, San Diego, CA, (2008)
[85]
Zhan L, Sun Y, Wang N, and Zhang X Understanding the influence of social media on people’s life satisfaction through two competing explanatory mechanisms Aslib. J. Inform. Manag. 2016 68 347-361
[86]
Zhang L and Jung EH WeChatting for health: an examination of the relationship between motivations and active engagement Health Commun. 2019 34 14 1764-1774
[87]
Zhang L, Jung EH, and Chen Z Modeling the pathway linking health information seeking to psychological well-being on WeChat Health Commun. 2020 5 9 1101-1112
[88]
Zhang X, Wen D, Liang J, and Lei J How the public uses social media WeChat to obtain health information in China: a survey study BMC Med. Inform. Decis. Mak. 2017 17 72-79
Index Terms
- How does WeChat’s active engagement with health information contribute to psychological well-being through social capital?
Index terms have been assigned to the content through auto-classification.
Recommendations
The contribution of mobile social media to social capital and psychological well-being
Using a two-wave panel in Hong Kong, this study examines how different uses of mobile social media contribute to individuals' social capital and psychological well-being. Findings showed that communicative use and self-disclosure on mobile social media ...
How does political engagement on social media impact psychological well-being? Examining the mediating role of social capital and perceived social support
AbstractThis study examines how individuals’ political engagement on social media platforms could impact their psychological well-being. We focus on two possible indirect paths through bonding and bridging social capital. By testing a serial ...
Highlights- Political engagement enhances psychological well-being through bonding capital and perceived social support.
Does social capital affect SNS usage? A look at the roles of subjective well-being and social identity
Examines the effects of social capital on SNS use (qualitative and quantitative use).Found that bridging capital significantly impacts qualitative SNS use.Verified the mediating role of subjective well-being between bonding capital and quantitative SNS ...
Comments
Please enable JavaScript to view thecomments powered by Disqus.Information & Contributors
Information
Published In
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature 2021.
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Berlin, Heidelberg
Publication History
Published: 01 August 2022
Accepted: 29 January 2021
Author Tags
Qualifiers
- Research-article
Contributors
Other Metrics
Bibliometrics & Citations
Bibliometrics
Article Metrics
- 0Total Citations
- 0Total Downloads
- Downloads (Last 12 months)0
- Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0
Reflects downloads up to 28 Nov 2024
Other Metrics
Citations
View Options
View options
Login options
Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.
Sign in