Emotional Expression on Social Media and Online Social Capital Construction Among Digital Natives: The Mediating Role of Empathy

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between emotional expression on social media and online social capital construction among digital natives, and examines the mediating role of empathy. A mixed-methods research design, combining a cross-sectional survey (N = 2,136) and semi-structured interviews (N = 45), was employed with digital natives aged 18–25 years from five countries. Survey results indicate that positive emotional expression on social media positively predicts both bonding and bridging online social capital, while negative emotional expression shows a non-linear relationship with bonding social capital (positive in moderate intensity, negative in high intensity) and a positive relationship with bridging social capital. Empathy (including cognitive empathy and affective empathy) partially mediates the relationship between positive emotional expression and online social capital, and fully mediates the relationship between moderate negative emotional expression and bonding social capital. Interview findings further reveal that digital natives strategically adjust their emotional expression on social media to enhance empathy-based interactions and accumulate social capital. These findings enrich the theoretical framework of social media use and social capital, and provide practical insights for guiding digital natives‘ healthy social media engagement.

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