The impact of online communication on the well-being of Chinese college students : the mediating role of social capital

Previous research has documented many detrimental impacts of social media use (especially excessive use) on college students' well-being. However, little is known about how it may contribute to their well-being. This study attempts to explicate how online communication influences college students' well-being from the social capital perspective and communicating with whom confers benefits. A sample of 1003 Chinese college students (Mean age = 19.4, Female N = 625; Male N = 378) reported their online communication with family members, real-life friends, online friends, romantic partners, and online strangers, online communication frequency and quality (i.e., self-disclosure and perceived responsiveness). With demographic factors controlled, structural equation modeling shows that high-level self-disclosure and perceived responsiveness from family members are associated with greater subjective well-being. Furthermore, perceived responsiveness from both family members and online strangers is positively correlated with psychological wellbeing. The frequency of online communication with family members and the perceived responsiveness from family members (but not friends, romantic partners, or strangers) are positively related to social capital, which is further positively related to subjective well-being and psychological wellbeing. This research suggests that online communication with family members can be developed into social capital, which further contributes to better well-being. These findings have implications for the development of interventions aimed at optimizing college students' online communication experiences.