Effects of Social Media Usage on Social Integration of University Students

Social media is important for college students to expand social capital. This study examines how different uses of social media contribute to students’ social capital and social integration. The findings show that communicative use, academic collaboration, and self-disclosure on social media significantly predict bridging capital, but they are not positively related to bonding capital. Both bridging and bonding social capital are significant predictors of social integration. This study provides insights about how to use social media to promote students’ social integration during their transition to college.