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. 2023 Feb 18;20(4):3657.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043657.

Relationship between Social Media Use and Social Anxiety in College Students: Mediation Effect of Communication Capacity

Fengxia Lai  1   2 , Lihong Wang  1 , Jiyin Zhang  2 , Shengnan Shan  2 , Jing Chen  2 , Li Tian  1   2
Affiliations

Relationship between Social Media Use and Social Anxiety in College Students: Mediation Effect of Communication Capacity

Fengxia Lai et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

An increasing number of college students are experiencing social anxiety in an era of prevalent social networking. College students' social anxiety may be related to their social media use. However, this relationship has not been confirmed. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between different types of social media use and social anxiety among college students, and the mediation effects of communication capacity in this context. A large sample of 1740 students from seven colleges in China was analyzed. Bivariate correlation and structural equations analysis showed that passive social media use was positively correlated with social anxiety. Active social media use was negatively correlated with social anxiety. Communication capacity partially mediated the relationship between social media use (passive/active) and social anxiety. Active social media use may reduce social anxiety by positively mediating communication capacity, while improved communication capacity may reduce the contribution of passive use to social anxiety. The differences in the effects of different social media use on social anxiety deserve the attention of educators. Developing communication capacity education around college students may help reduce their social anxiety.

Keywords: college students; communication capacity; mediation effect; social anxiety; social media use.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Theoretical mediation model.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Model of the mediating effect of communication capacity on the association between social media use and social anxiety. Note: ** p < 0.01. The normalized path coefficient is represented by the number on the solid line. There are two mediation paths in the diagram: 1. Passive social media use → Communication capacity → Social anxiety 2. Active social media use → Communication capacity → Social anxiety.
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