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Identifying the impact of WeChat interaction on college adjustment and academic performance among freshmen: The mediator role school connectedness

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Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that mobile social apps have crucial implications for social connectedness among college students, the specific patterns of WeChat usage that facilitate freshmen’s college adjustment and academic performance still remain unclear. To fulfil this identified study gap, the current research thoroughly examined the dynamic associations between distinct patterns of WeChat interactions, school connectedness, college adjustment, and perceived academic performance among freshmen. Anonymous self-report online survey data from college students in mainland China supported the conceptual model, revealing that habitual use of WeChat and time spend on WeChat have positive associations with school connectedness. Additionally, habitual use and time spend on WeChat were directly correlated with academic performance and college adjustment. Furthermore, the association between WeChat usage, college adjustment, and academic performance was moderated by school connectedness. Obtained results may offer a more comprehensive portrait of how newly emerging mobile social apps could foster college adjustment and academic performance in contemporary mobile media-saturated settings.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China (Grant No. 19CXW035).

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  1. School of New Media and Communication, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Hua Pang

  2. College of Management and Economics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Hua Pang & Yuxin Qiao

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Pang, H., Qiao, Y. Identifying the impact of WeChat interaction on college adjustment and academic performance among freshmen: The mediator role school connectedness. Educ Inf Technol 28, 1987–2007 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11267-2

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