Delineating the dimensions of social support on social networking sites and their effects: A comparative model

Online health communities influence people's health behaviors in the context of COVID-19

The online health community has the functions of online consultation, health record management and disease information interaction as an online medical platform. In the context of the pandemic, the existence of online health communities has provided a favorable environment for information acquisition and knowledge sharing among different roles, effectively improving the health of human, and popularizing health knowledge. This paper analyzes the development and importance of domestic online health communities, and sorts out users' participation behaviors, types of behaviors, and continuous participation behaviors, influence motives, and motivational patterns in online health communities. Taking the operation status of the online health community during the pandemic period as an example, the computer sentiment analysis method was used to obtain seven categories of participation behaviors and the proportion of various behaviors of online health community users, and the conclusion is: the emergence of the pandemic, making the online health community a platform where people are more inclined to choose to consult health issues, and user interaction behaviors have become more active on the platform.

Exploring the multidimensional relationships between social media support, social confidence, perceived media credibility and life attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic

Previous literature mainly focuses on the impact of social media support on social trust, emotional effect and life attitude, and affirmed the social governance value of social media support. However, the multidimensional relationship between social media support and social confidence, perceived media credibility and life attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic is an important, yet less explored, research issue. The present research aimed to fill in this gap by a survey of 1343 participants who are permanent residents aged 18 and above in a city through WeChat social networking platform. The results showed that: (1) social media support exerted direct influence on social confidence, perceived media credibility and life attitude; (2) perceived media credibility positively influenced social confidence; (3) social media support not only directly promoted social confidence, but also indirectly influenced social confidence through public’s perceived media credibility. These findings suggested that strengthening social media support during the COVID-19 pandemic is not only helpful to reconstitute the public’s confidence in prevailing against the pandemic, but also is able to help promote the diversification of the power of public network autonomy. This study highlighted social media support as an effective path to improve the ability of social governance.

Exploring member’s knowledge sharing intention in online health communities: The effects of social support and overload

This study explores the determinants of members’ participation intention in online health communities (OHC) from both the facilitators and barriers points of view. From the facilitators perspective, each member’s subjective well-being plays a crucial role in sharing intention. On the other hand, from the barriers point of view, social network site exhaustion would negatively affect. The survey was conducted on two online support groups, including parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and caregivers of dementia disease. This study collected 330 questionnaires from social network sites to examine the research model. The results showed that social support positively affects members’ self-efficacy; in turn, self-efficacy has a positive effect on subjective well-being. Overload has an impact on psychological distress. Moreover, members’ subjective well-being determined their knowledge sharing intention.

The Investigation of Mobile Health Stickiness: The Role of Social Support in a Sustainable Health Approach

In recent years, there has been a phenomenal proliferation of multifunctional fitness apps (MFAs), many of which are deeply ingrained into modern daily life as an aid to trace, manage, and improve users’ health and fitness. With technological advancement, these emerging information technology (IT) artifacts have the potential to facilitate the sustainable development of society and the environment. However, MFAs are facing a critical predicament: how to ensure user stickiness and continuous use. Drawing on the social support theory, this study aims to investigate stickiness as a multi-dimensional construct and to explore the antecedents of continuance usage and continuance purchase intentions in MFAs. The research model is empirically tested with data collected from 328 users of mobile fitness apps. A structural equation modeling analysis reveals both instrumental stickiness and social stickiness exert statistically significant influences on continuance usage intentions and in-app purchase intentions. Appraisal support, information support, and network support are significant antecedents for instrumental stickiness. While emotion support, esteem support, network support, and tangible support are significant antecedents for social stickiness. In addition, two facets of user sustainability—instrumental stickiness and social stickiness—exert different levels of influence on continuance usage and continuance app purchase intensions, respectively. The findings of this study will provide valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers involved in designing sustainable health products and engendering e-health systems.

The effects of social comparison orientation on psychological well-being in social networking sites: Serial mediation of perceived social support and self-esteem

This study investigates the effects of the social comparison orientation in social networking sites on psychological well-being. In particular, it examines the mediation effect of perceived social support and self-esteem in the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being. Data were collected through an online survey with 236 participants in South Korea. The results showed that social comparison orientation negatively influenced psychological well-being. In the relationship between social comparison orientation and psychological well-being, perceived social support had no mediation effect, self-esteem had a significant negative mediation effect, and perceived social support and self-esteem had a negative serial mediation effect. The social comparison orientation in social networking sites could elicit negative emotions, which decrease perceived social support, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future studies are discussed in detail.

Heterogeneous Influences of Social Support on Physical and Mental Health: Evidence from China

Employing a national representative survey (the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016, CLDS2016) data (N = 14246), this paper examines the heterogeneous influences of social support on individual physical and mental health in China. Social support is characterized by four dimensions: emotional support, tangible or instrumental support, interaction or exchange support, and community support. Physical health is measured by self-rated health and body mass index (BMI), while mental health is measured by depression, hopelessness, failure, fear, loneliness, and meaninglessness. The results indicate that different dimensions of social support have heterogeneous effects on individual physical and mental health. Specifically, the correlation between emotional support and individual physical health is not significant, but emotional support is significantly related to some mental health variables. Tangible or instrumental support is significantly related to individual self-rated physical health but not to BMI or mental health. Interaction or exchange support is significantly correlated with individual self-rated health and some mental health variables. In general, there are significant correlations between community support, and individual physical and mental health. The results also suggest that the influences of social support on physical and mental health of individuals at different ages (<60 years and ≥60 years) are heterogeneous. The results of this study provide direction for the dimension selection of social support to promote individual health.

Adult Attachment Orientations and Social Networking Site Addiction: The Mediating Effects of Online Social Support and the Fear of Missing Out

Evidence supports predictive roles of adult attachment orientations for the maintenance of social networking site (SNS) addiction, but the underlying mechanisms are mostly unknown. Based on attachment theory, this study explored whether online social support and the fear of missing out mediated the relationship between insecure attachment and social networking site addiction among 463 college students in China. A questionnaire was used to collect data using the Experience in Close Relationship Scale-Short Form, online social support scale, fear of missing out scale, and Chinese Social Media Addiction Scale. The results showed that online social support and fear of missing out mediated the relationship between anxious attachment and social networking site addiction in parallel paths and serially, and online social support negatively mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment and social networking site addiction. Theoretically, the present study contributes to the field by showing how insecure attachment is linked to SNS addiction. Practically, these findings could aid in future studies on SNS addiction prevention and interventions. Limitations of the present study were discussed.

Winning engaged consumers

Purpose

Under the sunlight of social commerce, few concepts have blossomed like value co-creation. But when blurred strategies are implemented, the opportunity to wilt a brand is high. To avoid the miscues and the controversies, an ascendant step is to engage consumers with social commerce sites. The purpose of this paper is to propose three antecedents to engage consumers with social commerce sites, namely, social support, social commerce value and social commerce information sharing, and the effect of brand engagement on the intention of brand co-creation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used survey data from 234 Iranians with experience using social commerce sites. Variance-based structural equation modeling using the partial least squares path modeling approach was adopted to analyze the structural model.

Findings

The authors found that social support, social commerce value and social commerce information sharing positively foster brand engagement. The study also revealed that brand engagement is a significant predictor of brand co-creation intention.

Originality/value

The study is the first study that considers and explains brand engagement from social support theory, social commerce value theory and social commerce information exchange. Also, the study shows how consumers can be an integral part of a brand. Unlike other studies which were done in industrialized countries, this study was employed in Iran.

Social network fatigue affecting continuance intention of social networking services

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how social network fatigue affects continuance intention of social networking services (SNSs) from a more comprehensive perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model was proposed by integrating uses and gratification theory (UGT), social network fatigue and continuance intention. The relationships between the three dimensions of UGT and continuance intention were examined, as well as the direct and moderating effects of social network fatigue. To collect data, an online survey was adopted, and 227 valid responses were analyzed by structural equation modeling.

Findings

The empirical findings demonstrate that utilitarian gratification (information seeking), social gratification (social interaction) and hedonic gratification (perceived enjoyment) are positively associated with SNS users’ continuance intention. Meanwhile, social network fatigue can directly and negatively affect continuance intention. Furthermore, the relationships between the two dimensions of UGT (information seeking, perceived enjoyment) and continuance intention are also negatively moderated by social network fatigue.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding about the relationship between continuance intention and social network fatigue. The authors indicate that social network fatigue will not only directly weaken SNS users’ continuance intention, but also negatively influence the formation process of the continuance intention. Some other theoretical and practical implications are also provided.

The role of negative network externalities in SNS fatigue

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether negative network externalities would contribute to social networking site (SNS) fatigue and how this mechanism works.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model was proposed integrating two dimensions of negative network externalities and three dimensions of mediators (impression management concern, privacy concern, and social overload) to indicate how negative network externalities affect users’ SNS fatigue. Online questionnaires were adopted to collect data, and 307 valid samples were analyzed by structural equation modeling approach.

Findings

The findings indicate that negative network externalities have significant indirect effects on SNS fatigue through impression management concern, privacy concern, and social overload, and among the three dimensions, privacy concern plays a more important role.

Research limitations/implications

This study offers a solidly grounded and well-demonstrated conceptual model that not only indicates the effects of negative network externalities in the context of SNS but also facilitates the understanding of SNS fatigue. Some theoretical and practical implications are also provided.

Originality/value

This study is novel in exploring users’ SNS fatigue a perspective of negative network externalities. Besides, the mediating roles of impression management concern, privacy concern, and social overload have been employed to indicate the formation of SNS fatigue.

From Social Integration to Social Isolation: The Relationship Between Social Network Types and Perceived Availability of Social Support in a National Sample of Older Canadians

It is well-documented that social isolation is detrimental to health and well-being. What is less clear is what types of social networks allow older adults to get the social support they need to promote health and well-being. In this study, we identified social network types in a national sample of older Canadians and explored whether they are associated with perceived availability of different types of social support (affectionate, emotional, or tangible, and positive social interactions). Data were drawn from the baseline questionnaire of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging for participants aged 65-85 (unweighted n = 8,782). Cluster analyses revealed six social network groups. Social support generally declined as social networks became more restricted; however, different patterns of social support availability emerged for different social network groups. These findings suggest that certain types of social networks place older adults at risk of not having met specific social support needs.

Exploring continuance intention of social networking sites

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of continuance intention of social networking site (SNS) users through a new perspective and discuss how to retain SNS users.

Design/methodology/approach

The author proposed a research model by integrating network externalities and social support. Three dimensions of social support and two types of network externalities were analyzed, respectively, to explore the direct and indirect effects on continuance intention. Online questionnaires were adopted to collect data, and 513 valid samples were analyzed by structural equation modeling approach.

Findings

The findings show that network externalities have a significant indirect effect on user’ continuance intention through the mediation effects of social support, and among the three dimensions of social support, network management plays a more important role on continuance intention.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggest that network externalities can trigger the function of social support to keep the “stickiness” of SNS users, and network management is the key dimension of online social support. Some other theoretical and practical implications are also provided.

Originality/value

The study is novel in exploring users’ continuance intention of SNSs by integrating social support and network externalities. Meanwhile, the author also intends to compare the effect of different dimensions of social support on SNS usage and discuss their internal relationships.