Pervasive social networking sites (SNSs) access has forced people to pay continuous attention to the overwhelming volume of information which ultimately increases their usage. The extensive use of SNSs has contributed to the overuse of technology and that can lead to overload which may produce negative behavioural consequences. This study used cognitive load theory as foundation of the model to examine the effect of overloads and discontinuous intentions incorporating SNS addiction, social media self-efficacy and SNS fatigue. To test the proposed model and hypothesis, a total of 371 Chinese university students participated in the study. Findings reveal that information and communication overload exert a direct impact on SNS addiction, and the relationship between SNS addiction and discontinuous intentions amongst users is negatively significant. The moderated mediation analysis result indicates that social media self-efficacy moderates the mediating effect of SNS addiction between overloads (information and communication) and discontinuous intentions. Moreover, the relationship between SNS addiction and discontinuous intentions is partially mediated by SNS fatigue. Implications emphasise that SNS providers should effectively prevent the negative behavioural response of SNS users by providing training on the effective use of SNSs.
6 January 2025 in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to revive ancient trade routes and boost international trade, enhancing regional integration, trade, and economic growth. The present study aimed to examine the representation of the BRI in Indo-Pakistani newspapers, specifically the Daily Dawn Pakistan and the Times of India, by employing computational framing analysis. A total of 2081 news reports from the Daily Dawn and 587 news reports from The Times of India were collected using the Lexis Advance database between March 23, 2013, and December 1, 2019. The findings revealed that the two newspapers utilized distinct framing strategies to represent the BRI. The Daily Dawn frames were related to development, security challenges, and political concerns, while India sees China as a strong opponent and the BRI as China’s geostrategic plan to extend its global power and military presence in the Indian Ocean, posing a challenge to India’s national interests. The results also indicated that bilateral talks, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) implications, and BRI concerns are the mainframes in the news coverage of The Times of India. This research provided qualitative evidence to study the media coverage of the BRI in Indo-Pakistani media. The results of this study can be a reference for policymakers and international players who seek to improve relations with both countries.
WeChat is a popular social network application in China, which has fundamentally impacted users social interaction, communication, and personal relationships. In this study, we propose a conceptual model to measure how WeChat use intensity is associated with sojourners’ social and psychological adjustment in China. An online survey was conducted among 327 international students in Hefei City. The data were analysed through the statistical tools of IBM-SPSS & AMOS (22) by implementing correlation and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The finding indicated that social adjustment, emotional adjustment, and social support have a significant association with WeChat usage intensity. Moreover, acquired social adjustment and social support have a significant positive association with sojourners’ psychological adjustment. The study highlights the importance of WeChat use in the social and psychological adjustment of sojourners in China.
31 March 2026 in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
This study examines the bidirectional tension between public and scientific attention amid informatization, analyzing their mutualistic symbiosis to address science communication challenges. We constructed a mathematical model of mutualistic symbiosis in their relationship was developed based on the Logistic Model. Subsequently, numerical simulations were employed to investigate the evolutionary trends and patterns of scientific attention, public attention, and the effectiveness of science communication under varying modes of public attention and initial values of scientific attention. Furthermore, using “COVID-19” as a case study, an empirical analysis was conducted on to assess the correlation between public attention and scientific attention and evaluate the constructed mathematical Model, verifying its scientific validity and effectiveness. This study underscores the critical role of science communication in fostering advantageous interactions between scientific and public attention. Nonetheless, it is imperative to adopt tailored science communication strategies that accommodate diverse public attention modes and initial levels of scientific attention while selecting appropriate symbiotic models for specific contexts. This proposed approach ensures the effective dissemination of scientific information and fosters a robust science communication ecosystem.