Information-Oriented Internet Use Preference and Social Trust among Young Adults in China

• In Event: Student Forum Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 9: Social Media and Digital Culture

Abstract

This study aims to clarify both the influence of information-oriented internet use preference on the social trust of young adults and the mechanisms by which social networks mediate this impact. Methods: Leveraging data from the Chinese General Social Survey spanning seven periods from 2010 to 2018, this study employs fixed effects model and Karlson–Holm–Breen (KHB) model to calculate the mediating effects of social networks. Results: The results showed that information-oriented internet use preference was significantly negatively associated with social trust among young adults (B = −.105, SE = .031, p < .001), while simultaneously being positively related to individuals’ social interaction (B = .115, SE = .016, p < .001) and resource-based social support (B = .085, SE = .011, p < .001). KHB decomposition revealed a statistically significant indirect effect through social networks, indicating that social networks partially mediated the relationship between information-oriented internet use preference and social trust and attenuate the magnitude of the negative direct effect. Specifically, the negative association between information-oriented internet use preference and social trust became more pronounced (B = −.125, SE = .031, p < .001) after accounting for the mediating role of social networks, suggesting the presence of a suppression effect. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that although increased information-oriented internet use preference is associated with lower levels of social trust, its trust-reducing effect is partially offset through expanded social networks. This study contributes to the literature on digital media and social trust by clarifying the mediating mechanisms linking information-oriented internet use preference to trust outcomes and provides practical implications for promoting social trust in the digital era.

Authors

• HONGFEI YU, Tsinghua university

• Shuli Wang