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This research aims to discover the relationship between social media usage (SMU) and the critical thinking ability (CTA) of university students, and to answer the question that whether social media dependence (SMD) affects the development of CTA, and thus providing a reference for the social media access strategy of academic libraries from the perspective of media information literacy.

The research data were collected via 300 valid questionnaires whose respondents are students from three universities in China. Multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used to select the respondents, which guarantees statistical representativeness. A pre-test was conducted to ensure the validity of the questionnaire.

It is shown that the total score of CTA and the six sub-dimensions are significantly positively correlated with SMU, but strongly negatively correlated with SMD. Based on the mediating effect testing, it is discovered that the degree of SMD can affect the promoting relations between the usage intensity of social media (UISM) and CTA. Clearly, SMU is a double-edged sword. While it narrows the digital gap in terms of accessibility, it widens the digital gap in terms of usage.

The differences in SMU have a significant impact on the development of CTA of university students. This inspires us to consider the ability of “using social media in a balanced way” as an important evaluation and training direction when inquiring media literacy. As social media is becoming a critical channel in cultivating individual's thinking skills, it is highly suggested that the amount of time spent on reading fragmented information on the internet should be controlled.

Building upon social capital theoretical foundation, the principal purpose of present research is to construct a conceptual research model and uncover the intricate relationships between WeChat usage, social capital and civic participation behaviors among young people.

A large cross-sectional valid data from 1,238 young people in mainland China were gathered to examine the hypothesized research model. Descriptive analyses, correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were sequentially undertaken to determine dynamic interrelationships among main constructs.

The empirical findings demonstrate that WeChat usage positively impacts young people's social interaction ties, the guanxi network and shared goals. Moreover, social interaction ties and shared goals are positively associated with their online civic engagement. Furthermore, the guanxi network is positively associated with both online and offline civic engagement.

Theoretically, this research is the first to explicitly explore the influence mechanism of WeChat use intensity on different dimensions of individual-level social capital and civic engagement. Practically, these obtained results can be beneficial to the comprehending of whether and how WeChat is a resource for social capital and civic involvement.

Despite mobile social media, especially WeChat, has achieved immense popularity in contemporary mainland China, the potential influence of this emerging technology use on individuals' differential dimensions of social capital and civic engagement has not been systematically investigated. The study may not only offer fresh insight into innovative features of WeChat but also contribute to broader controversies regarding the impact of mobile-mediated communication on individuals' daily civic lives.

This study aims to investigate how gamification, namely, WeChat’s cultural gifting function, improves emotional involvement among three generations (Y, X and silver) in mobile payments. It draws attention to the beneficial effects of cultural components and digital intimacy on gamified mobile payment systems.

The data were collected from Y, X and silver generation in Dalian, China. The users were well equipped with the WeChat pay features and had experience. The PLS-SEM software was used to assess the data.

The findings show that consumer word of mouth and loyalty are positively impacted by perceived utility, fun, and enjoyment. Besides, gamification components like fun and playfulness have a favourable effect on how useful mobile payments are judged to be. It demonstrates how delighted and ecstatic users are with WeChat Hongbao. In addition, the positive moderation effect of intimacy on the hypothesised connections shows that all three generations are likely to accept gamified money features. These results provide a substantial contribution to our comprehension of gamification in the context of mobile payment services for all three generations.

The study is distinctive because it focuses on how China’s three generations use WeChat Pay for routine transactions. The framework confirms that the gamification elements improve user performance and encourage continued usage of mobile payment systems.

Este estudio investiga cómo la gamificación, específicamente la función de regalos culturales de WeChat, mejora la participación emocional entre tres generaciones (Y, X y plata) en los pagos móviles. Se presta atención a los efectos beneficiosos de los componentes culturales y la intimidad digital en los sistemas de pago móvil gamificados.

Los datos fueron recopilados de las generaciones Y, X y plata en Dalian, China. Los usuarios estaban familiarizados con las características de pago de WeChat y tenían experiencia. Se utilizó el software PLS-SEM para evaluar los datos.

Los resultados muestran que la reputación y la lealtad del consumidor son positivamente influenciadas por la utilidad percibida, la diversión y el disfrute. Los componentes de gamificación, como la diversión y la jugabilidad, tienen un efecto favorable en cómo se juzga la utilidad de los pagos móviles. Se demuestra cuán encantados están los usuarios con WeChat Hongbao. Además, la moderación positiva de la intimidad en las relaciones supuestas muestra que las tres generaciones tienen probabilidades de aceptar las características de dinero gamificado. Estos resultados contribuyen sustancialmente a nuestra comprensión de la gamificación en el contexto de los servicios de pago móvil para las tres generaciones.

El estudio es novedoso ya que se centra en cómo las tres generaciones de China utilizan WeChat Pay para transacciones rutinarias. El marco confirma que los elementos de gamificación mejoran el rendimiento del usuario y fomentan el uso continuado de los sistemas de pago móvil.

本研究探讨了游戏化, 即微信的文化赠送功能, 如何提高三代人（Y、X和银发族）在移动支付中的情感投入。它引起了人们对文化成分和数字亲密关系对游戏化移动支付系统的有益影响的注意。

数据来自中国大连市的Y、X和银发族用户。用户对微信支付功能非常熟悉, 并具有使用经验。采用PLS-SEM软件对数据进行评估。

结果表明, 消费者的口碑和忠诚度受到了感知效用、乐趣和享受的积极影响。乐趣和趣味等游戏化组件对移动支付的有用性评估产生了积极影响, 展示了用户对微信红包的喜悦和兴奋程度。此外, 亲密关系对假设连接的正向调节效应表明, 三代人都可能接受游戏化货币功能。这些结果为我们理解移动支付服务背景下游戏化对三代人的贡献提供了实质性的帮助。

该研究独特之处在于它着眼于中国三代人如何将微信支付用于日常交易。该框架证实了游戏化元素如何提高用户绩效并鼓励继续使用移动支付系统。

China has been one of these countries that followed glocalization with the establishment of Chinese social media platforms, which adopt global trends and software patterns. WeChat has been a success story that at first emerged as a social communication tool but has extended to include commercial dynamics as well. Hence, this study aims to understand WeChat user’s general perceptions of the WeChat platform as a general social platform and as a commercial business platform.

In this study, the sample (n = 400) was obtained from a specific group of people who have had experiences with different WeChat tools and their payment systems. Nonrandom purposive sampling was used by considering its higher probability of representativeness. The online survey that was given to participants through the WeChat groups included 14 questions, in which eight questions are for demographics and general WeChat use, and six questions are for WeChat payment. After descriptive statistical analysis, comparison-based tests were conducted and interpreted accordingly.

Overall, the study participants had a high frequency of using WeChat’s messaging and moments features. Moreover, users perceive WeChat and its payment tools as unsecured or not secure enough. However, that perception did not affect their intention to continue adopting the app. Hence, regardless of the unsecure perception, study participants still had high usage of WeChat pay.

This paper provides an example from China that is known as a high-tech country, and there are a very few studies on the WeChat app despite their high number of users and daily financial transactions.

Research into older adults' use of social media remains limited. Driven by increasing digitalisation in China, the authors focus on Chinese older adults (aged 60–75)’ use of WeChat.

This study used a qualitative interpretive approach and interviewed Chinese older adults to uncover their social practices of WeChat use in everyday life.

By using social practice theory (SPT), the paper unfolds Chinese older adults' social practices of WeChat use in everyday life and reveals how they adopt and resist the drastic changes in Chinese society.

The study contributes to new understandings of SPT from technology use by emphasising the dynamic characteristics of its three elements. The authors synthesise both adoptions and resistance in SPT and highlight the importance of understanding three elements interdependently within specific contexts, which are conditioned by structure and agency.

WeChat official account (WCOA) is an emerging and important platform for academic library services, which greatly accelerates the development of this field. This article aims to identify key evaluation indicators for users' satisfaction of the Academic Library WeChat Official Account (ALWCOA) as a reference for future improvements.

Based on the updated DeLone and McLean (D&M)’s model and Delphi method, an evaluation system of ALWCOA satisfaction was constructed. Then 212 university students were recruited to fill out a questionnaire on evaluation indicators. The grey relational analysis (GRA) and Pareto's principle were employed to analyze the questionnaire and select key evaluation indicators.

An ALWCOA service satisfaction evaluation system with three evaluation dimensions and 15 evaluation indicators was constructed, and three key evaluation indicators were identified, including service responsiveness, information timeliness and system security.

This article provides a strategy for assessing ALWCOA service satisfaction, as well as insights for improving of ALWCOA service. Specifically, academic libraries should pay more attention to improving service responsiveness, information timeliness and system security.

This article innovatively applied the updated D&M model in academic library service. Additionally, it facilitates the development of research fields, such as academic library services, microservices and user service evaluation, and provides a case study to better understand the WCOA.

The primary objectives of this article are to systematically explore whether and how certain WeChat use motives could lead to bridging social capital, bonding social capital and civic engagement among young people.

The data was collected from a large-scale online survey of 1208 young people in mainland China. Zero-order correlation analyses and structural equation modeling were carried out to examine the corresponding hypotheses.

Obtained findings show that WeChat use for informational and social motivations are positively associated with bonding and bridging social capital. Moreover, bonding social capital could mediate the relationship between WeChat usage for informational and relational motivations and civic engagement.

Theoretically, this article underlines the unique social and technological affordances of WeChat by exploring mobile social media use and how it would contribute to the quality of democracy by fostering young people's engagement in civic life. Practically, bridging and bonding social capital play significant roles in enhancing young people's civic engagement, which could be the meaningful resource for mobile social media designers, managers and government officials.

These obtained outcomes underlined the vital role of these newly emerging communication technologies in fostering democratic involvement and production of social capital in contemporary socially networked society.

To understand the mechanisms underlying social media discontinuance behavior, this study explores factors affecting social media discontinuance behavior from the perspective of social cognitive theory (SCT).

Based on SCT, this study puts forward a theoretical model incorporating habit, excessive use and negative emotions to predict social media discontinuance behavior. The proposed research model was empirically tested with 465 responses collected from WeChat users in China via an online survey. WeChat is one of the most popular social media in China. However, WeChat also faces the challenges of reduced or terminated usage among its users. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyze the data.

The research results in this study show that habit exerts a negative effect on social media discontinuance behavior, while exhaustion and regret have positive influences. In addition, habit positively affects excessive use, which further leads to negative emotions of social media exhaustion and regret. Moreover, gender moderates the relationship between habit and social media discontinuance behavior.

This study adds to the literature of information system (IS) use lifecycle by investigating user behavioral changes regarding a transition from habituated to excessive use and further to discontinuance behavior. This study also helps elucidate the complex role of habit by explaining social media discontinuance from the social cognitive view. Furthermore, this study advances the current understanding of gender difference in social media discontinuance in the Chinese context. The study also offers insights to practitioners on how to prevent individuals from discontinuing their use of social media.

Building upon uses and gratifications (UG) theory and social exchange theory, the current study establishes a theoretical model to examine the underlying relationship between customer motivations, active participation and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and purchase intentions on WeChat.

The data were gathered in a web-based survey of 301 WeChat users in mainland China. To empirically verify the proposed hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed using online data.

Path analysis outcomes demonstrate that functional, hedonic and social motivations positively affect WeChat users' active participation. In addition, active participation significantly influences e-WOM intention while showing no correlation with purchase intention.

Theoretically, this article can enrich the extant system of relevant theories and offer a fresh perspective for further research on the generation of consumers' e-WOM intention and purchase intention in the WeChat context. Practically, the research outcomes provide insight for companies on how to motivate customers to participate in online activities, which subsequently improve WeChat users' willingness in conducting e-WOM communication and making purchase decisions.

Although mobile social media could serve as an influential marketing vehicle for individuals' engagement in social and commercial activities in today's mobile-matured environment, the substantial impact of active engagement on the relationship between customer motivation and purchase intention remains insufficiently explored. The outcomes not only contribute to the current body of knowledge, but also offer several managerial guidance for companies that pay attention to mobile social media marketing in a contemporary mobile media-saturated society.

By building and examining an integral model, the principal objectives of this research are to systematically explore how indirect and direct network externalities lead to user loyalty toward WeChat through the mediating effect of perceived gratifications.

The data were collected through an online survey of 688 young people in Mainland China. To empirically assess the conceptual model, zero-order correlation analyses and structural equation modeling were carried out utilizing web-based data.

Path analysis results demonstrate that indirect network externalities and direct network externalities exert a significant impact on users' hedonic gratifications and utilitarian gratifications. Moreover, the study discovers the significant mediating influences of utilitarian gratifications on the association between indirect network externalities and user loyalty.

Theoretically, this article may extend the scope of diverse studies on the association between network externalities and perceived gratifications and offer fresh insights into how mobile social media could actually improve user loyalty through enhancing perceived values among younger generation. Practically, this research assists mobile social media practitioners in retaining users and gaining competitive advantages over rival applications.

Although the extraordinary growth of WeChat has successfully become the dominant media by which individuals develop interpersonal network and contact with others, the roles of perceived gratifications between network externalities and user loyalty toward WeChat have not yet been investigated in depth. These obtained outcomes not only enrich the existing literature regarding the relationship between network externalities and affective response, but also offer fresh insights to mobile social media designers, marketers and users.