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

Liu, Huaxiang; Lee, Kuok Tiung

doi:10.22075/ijnaa.2021.5747

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

Huaxiang Liu

Kuok Tiung Lee

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

10.22075/ijnaa.2021.5747

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

Wechat

Chinese teenagers

Fuzzy based theory of use and satisfaction

Hidden markov based theory of planned behavior (TPB)

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