The use and continued willingness of Chinese teenagers to use Wechat, a mobile instant messaging software: based on the theory of use and satisfaction and the theory of planned behavior

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

The faculty of social sciences and Humanities, University Malaysia Sabah, 88400 kota kinabalu, Malaysia

Abstract

With over one billion monthly active users, Chinese social networking and multipurpose software Wechat has become one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. Wechat has gradually risen to the top of the social media heap among Chinese teenagers. Because of this, little is known about how people’s usage of Wechat is influenced by psychological factors. In order to build an integrated model that can predict and explain a person’s ongoing use of Wechat, researchers utilised the theory of use and satisfaction (TUS) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Researchers used an upgraded version of the TPB model that incorporated the extra variables of self-identity and belongingness to predict long-term Wechat usage intentions and behaviour in a sample of Chinese adolescents. Further studies looked at the impact of Chinese adolescents’ sense of self-identity and belongingness on their usage of Wechat. regression studies partly confirmed the TPB: attitude and subjective norm substantially predicted intents to continue using Wechat, and intention significantly predicted behaviour.... Intention and, perhaps surprisingly, behaviour were strongly predicted by self-identity, but not by belongingness. Prior behaviour also had a strong influence on both intention and behaviour. Wechat addiction was shown to be strongly correlated with feelings of self-identity and belongingness. Fuzzy based theories of usage and satisfaction and hidden markov theories of planned behaviour are also used in this research to investigate why adolescents use WeChat on their mobile phones. Consumer involvement is examined for its effect on motivating demands and as a mediating factor in problematic usage. All hypotheses are tested using techniques such as factor analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modelling, which are based on Wechat user surveys. These results may guide efforts aimed at modifying Chinese teens’ ongoing usage of Wechat or addictive tendencies for Wechat.

Keywords

[1] S. Chen and P. Lunt, Mobile Socialities in Beijing: Young adult Chinese WeChat users’ management of social
relations between tradition and modernity, in The Routledge Handbook of Mobile Socialities, ed: Routledge,
(2021) 145-157.
[2] Y. Chen, Z. Mao and J. L. Qiu, Super-sticky WeChat and Chinese society: Emerald Group Publishing, 2018.
[3] S.C. Chu, C.H. Lien, and Y. Cao, Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on WeChat: examining the influence of
sense of belonging, need for self-enhancement, and consumer engagement on Chinese travellers’ eWOM, International Journal of advertising, 38 (2019) 26-49.
[4] G. De Seta and M. Proksell, The aesthetics of zipai: From WeChat selfies to self-representation in contemporary
Chinese art and photography, Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network, 8 (2015).
[5] Z. Fang, X. Ji, X. Qi, and J. Zhang, Analyzing online impression management ability of Chinese teenagers,
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, (2021) 1-15.
[6] X. Hou, A survey of Chinese teenager behaviors on the local social networking sites, 2013.
[7] F. S. Li, Chinese tourists’ barriers to sharing travel photos in WeChat, Sustainability, 12 (2020)887.
[8] Y. Li and M. Ranieri, Are ‘digital natives’ really digitally competent?—A study on Chinese teenagers, British
Journal of Educational Technology, 41 (2010) 1029-1042.
[9] K. Liu, Language choices as audience design strategies in Chinese multilingual speakers’ Wechat posts, Global
Media and China, p. 20594364211035201, 2021.
[10] W. Qu, Y. Ge, Y. Guo, X. Sun and K. Zhang, The influence of WeChat use on driving behavior in China: a
study based on the theory of planned behavior, Accident Analysis & Prevention, 144 (2020) 105641.
[11] Y. Tang and L. Wang, How Chinese Web Users Value Their Personal Information: An Empirical Study on
WeChat Users, Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 14 (2021) 987.
[12] Z. Tang, Z. Zhou, F. Xu and M. Warkentin, Apps within apps: predicting government WeChat mini-program
adoption from trust–risk perspective and innovation diffusion theory, Information Technology & People, 2021.
[13] L. Xu, P. Li, X. Hou, H. Yu, T. Tang, T. Liu and et al., Middle-aged and elderly users’ continuous usage intention
of health maintenance-oriented WeChat official accounts: empirical study based on a hybrid model in China, BMC
Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 21 (2021) 1-11.
[14] Y. Xu, L. Xu, W. Zhao, Q. Li, M. Li, W. Lu and et al., Effectiveness of a WeChat Combined Continuous Flash
Glucose Monitoring System on Glycemic Control in Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Management: Randomized
Controlled Trial, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 14 (2021) 1085.
[15] D. Yan, N. Yong and F. Yuan, The Relationship between College Students’ Self-esteem and Wechat Addiction:
The Multiple Mediating Roles of State Anxiety and Internet Interpersonal Trust, Journal of Psychological Science,
(2021) 104.
Volume 12, Special Issue
December 2021
Pages 1423-1437
  • Receive Date: 13 July 2021
  • Revise Date: 05 September 2021
  • Accept Date: 17 October 2021