A Uses and Gratifications Approach to Weibo Use among Chinese International Students in the United States

What is it about?

This study investigated how Weibo use is related to Chinese students’ acculturation and adaptation in the United States. Adaptation is conceptualized into three domains: social life adaptation (SLA), task-performance adaptation (TPA), and cultural adaptation (CA, composing of acculturation and de-culturation). Data show that students with lower income and those who plan to return to China or have not lived in the United States long tend to use Weibo more. Furthermore, Weibo use is positively associated with TPA but negatively with SLA. Chinese identity (or de-culturation) does not affect their Weibo use. However, people with strong acculturation use Weibo longer on an average day but with less frequency.

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Why is it important?

Weibo appears to be a double-edged sword as Chinese students may use it to improve their living skills and cultural competence or to escape from a limited social life. Implications for uses and gratifications are discussed.