Time counts? A two-wave panel study investigating the effects of WeChat affordances on social capital and well-being

Abstract

Drawing from the social capital framework and socioemotional selectivity theory, this study examines how individuals’ future time perspective (FTP) alters their social capital processes, which further influences their well-being. A two-wave survey was conducted across WeChat users possessing different FTPs. The findings showed that bonding and bridging social capital accumulation were attributed to differential WeChat affordances, which in turn exerted disparate influences on individuals’ positive affect and psychological well-being. Importantly, multigroup analyses revealed that future-oriented users were more fulfilled from the broadcasting affordance, whereas present-oriented users derived more emotional gains from the association affordance. Notably, frequent engagement with the reviewability affordance was found to diminish WeChat bonding social capital only for those who possessed open-ended FTP. The findings contribute to theoretical knowledge of social media affordances and provide practical implications for social media developers in harnessing social media to improve users’ well-being across lifespans by considering their priority of social goals. As the most popular mobile social media platform in China, WeChat plays a key role in influencing individuals’ well-being. Nevertheless, given the diverse functions concurrently available on WeChat, it is hard to tell which specific usage is beneficial or harmful to individuals’ well-being, and by what means. In addition, do people in different life stages prefer or seek different social interactions on WeChat? Do such differences change the effects of WeChat usage over time? Analysis of the survey data collected at two-time points revealed that users who perceived their future as relatively limited obtained more social bonding and then more positive affect by engaging with the Like and Comment features on WeChat. For users who believed their future was expansive, they felt more fulfilled by broadcasting on WeChat (as social bridging). However, constantly viewing others’ posts on WeChat was found to reduce social bonding only for users who perceived their future as long and vast. This study provides meaningful insights into why social media usage can lead to various psychological outcomes from different time perspectives. The findings also contribute to social media design that helps individuals reap benefits from social media use and ultimately improve their well-being.