Purpose

This study examines the direct and indirect effect mechanisms of how using smartphones for social media is associated with college students' civic engagement via levels of communication network heterogeneity and social capital. In addition, this study tests whether such indirect effects mechanisms are moderated by the need to belong.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzes data from an online survey (N = 580) conducted at a public university. The PROCESS macro is used to examine the mediation association between mobile social media use, communication network heterogeneity, social capital, and civic engagement and the moderated mediation conditional upon need to belong.

Findings

College students who often use smartphones for social media were more likely to communicate with people who have different socio-demographic characteristics and different opinions. There was also a positive mediation mechanism between smartphone use for social media, network heterogeneity, social capital and civic engagement, which means that college students who often use mobile social media are more likely to communicate with heterogeneous others and develop a sense of social capital, which in turn led to greater levels of civic engagement. Importantly, these indirect effects of smartphone use for social media on civic engagement were stronger for those with greater levels of need to belong.

Originality/value

The findings of the current study are significant given that little is known about how young adults' mobile social media use is associated with communication network heterogeneity and civic engagement in their everyday life. The research expands the research agenda by investigating the most popular interactive communication media platforms.

中文翻译：

---

年轻人在社交媒体上使用智能手机对通信网络异质性、社会资本和公民参与的影响

目的

本研究通过通信网络异质性和社会资本的水平检验了使用智能手机进行社交媒体与大学生公民参与的直接和间接影响机制。此外，这项研究测试了这种间接影响机制是否受到归属需要的调节。

设计/方法/方法

该研究分析 了在一所公立大学进行的在线调查 ( N = 580) 的数据。PROCESS 宏用于检查移动社交媒体使用、通信网络异质性、社会资本和公民参与之间的中介关联，以及以归属需要为条件的调节中介。

发现

经常使用智能手机进行社交媒体的大学生更有可能与具有不同社会人口特征和不同观点的人交流。在智能手机使用社交媒体、网络异质性、社会资本和公民参与之间也存在正向中介机制，这意味着经常使用移动社交媒体的大学生更容易与异质的他人交流并产生社会资本意识，这反过来又导致了更高水平的公民参与。重要的是，智能手机用于社交媒体对公民参与的这些间接影响对于那些需要更高归属感的人来说更强。

原创性/价值

鉴于对年轻人的移动社交媒体使用与通信网络异质性和日常生活中的公民参与有何关联，目前的研究结果意义重大。该研究通过调查最流行的交互式通信媒体平台扩展了研究议程。