{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,22]],"date-time":"2026-02-22T17:33:17Z","timestamp":1771781597572,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":59,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,5,21]],"date-time":"2018-05-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1526860800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AJIM"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,5,21]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to explore how the intensity use of WeChat is associated with perceived social capital and psychological well-being factors among Chinese international students in Germany.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Based on an online survey data collected from 212 Chinese international college students in Germany, correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were sequentially implemented to deal with the research questions.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The correlation analysis results indicate that the intensity of WeChat use is positively correlated with bridging, bonding, and maintained social capital. Additionally, a path model demonstrates that bonding social capital is positively related to life satisfaction and negatively related to the sense of loneliness. Furthermore, both bonding and maintained social capital mediate the relationship between WeChat use and these two well-being outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Theoretically, the research is an initial study contributing to the existing social media literature on evaluating the effects of WeChat use on social capital and well-being. Practically, these obtained results can be beneficial to the understanding the dynamics of how social media may potentially impact students\u2019 social connectedness and life quality.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Although WeChat has become the most prevalent social networking site in Mainland China, the social and psychological implications of the emerging technology are not completely understood. The paper offers evidence that WeChat has functioned as an efficient platform for sojourners to develop diverse types of social capital and promote well-being in an intercultural setting.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/ajim-01-2018-0003","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,5,16]],"date-time":"2018-05-16T06:47:31Z","timestamp":1526453251000},"page":"288-304","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":48,"title":["Understanding the effects of WeChat on perceived social capital and psychological well-being among Chinese international college students in Germany"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"70","author":[{"given":"Hua","family":"Pang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"key2020092823491837200_ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"362","DOI":"10.1108\/AJIM-01-2016-0001","article-title":"Relationships among attachment theory, social capital perspective, personality characteristics, and Facebook self-disclosure","volume":"68","year":"2016","journal-title":"Aslib Journal of Information Management"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020092823491837200_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1002\/wps.20085","article-title":"Social media\u2019s challenges for psychiatry","volume":"13","year":"2014","journal-title":"World Psychiatry"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020092823491837200_ref003","first-page":"181","article-title":"Uses and gratification motivation for using Facebook and the impact of Facebook usage on social capital and life satisfaction among Filipino users","volume":"9","year":"2015","journal-title":"International Journal of Software Engineering and Its Applications"},{"key":"key2020092823491837200_ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socnet.2013.11.003","article-title":"Making friends and communicating on Facebook: implications for the access to social capital","volume":"37","year":"2014","journal-title":"Social Networks"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020092823491837200_ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"265","DOI":"10.1111\/jcc4.12162","article-title":"The relationship between Facebook use and well-being depends on communication type and tie strength","volume":"21","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication"},{"key":"key2020092823491837200_ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijintrel.2017.12.002","article-title":"How can Chinese international students\u2019 host-national contact contribute to social connectedness, social support and reduced prejudice in the mainstream society? 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