Social media and life satisfaction among college students: A moderated mediation model of SNS communication network heterogeneity and social self-efficacy on satisfaction with campus life

ABSTRACT

This study explored whether and how communication network heterogeneity on social networking services (SNSs) is associated with college students’ satisfaction with campus life. In particular, it examined the mediating role of social self-efficacy in the relationship between SNS communication network heterogeneity and campus life satisfaction and whether such indirect effects of SNS network heterogeneity on life satisfaction via social self-efficacy are contingent upon college students’ origins (in-state vs. out-of-state). The findings show that having greater communication with heterogeneous others on SNSs was positively associated with college students’ satisfaction with campus life and that the respondents’ perceived social self-efficacy mediated the relationship between SNS communication heterogeneity and campus life satisfaction. Furthermore, this indirect effect of SNS communication network heterogeneity on campus life satisfaction through social self-efficacy was stronger for in-state students than for out-of-state students.

KEYWORDS:

• SNS network heterogeneity
• Social self-efficacy
• Satisfaction with campus life

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Dongguk University Research Fund of 2017.

Notes

¹ Scheufele et al. (2006), who investigated the effect of discussion network heterogeneity on political participation, made this argument by stating that “an individual must be aware of diversity of discussion networks in order for such diversity to impact their political behavior” (p. 740). Research on interpersonal communication has used a similar approach, relying on the respondents’ self-report about their frequency of talking with discussants who have similar or different political leanings (e.g., Eveland & Hively, 2009; Huckfeldt & Sprague, 1995). Mutz and Martin (2001) argued that perceptual measures of political discussion network are appropriate because it must be perceived as similar or different for such perceptions to stimulate individuals’ cognitive processes. In the context of the current study, we argue that individuals may need to be aware of their experience of communicating with diverse others in order for them to believe that they are competent at working in harmony with others and that they can become good friends with various others, reflecting the concept of social self-efficacy. Based on these considerations, this study used the self-report measure of SNS communication network heterogeneity.

² Following Simmons, Nelson, & Simonsohn’s suggestion (2011), we conducted additional analyses without control variables. All of the significant relationships remain the same without control variables.