Study of 2,008 Chinese Students Links Job-Focused Social Media Use to Lower Employment Anxiety
Updated
Updated · Frontiers · Aug 25
Study of 2,008 Chinese Students Links Job-Focused Social Media Use to Lower Employment Anxiety
3 articles · Updated · Frontiers · Aug 25
Summary
A survey of 2,008 undergraduates across China found employment-oriented social media use was significantly associated with lower job-search anxiety, with a total effect of -0.396 and a direct effect of -0.183.
Two pathways explained much of that link: social capital mediated 27.3% of the effect and risk perception 26.4%, with both indirect effects remaining significant in 5,000-sample bootstrap tests.
Students used platforms such as Douyin, Weibo and Liepin for job information, while higher social media use was also tied to higher social capital and more concrete employment risk awareness.
Structural gaps were pronounced: students at top-tier universities and from higher-income families reported more job-focused social media use and social capital, while ordinary-university and lower-income students showed higher employment anxiety.
The authors said the findings support using media literacy and career guidance to channel social media toward job search, though the cross-sectional design limits causal claims and the risk-perception mechanism needs further testing.