The Differential Impacts of Social Network Sites and Instant Messaging on General Trust: A Study of Hong Kong

Although previous studies indicate a generally positive association between social media use and general trust, the differential impacts of social network sites (SNS) and instant messaging (IM) on general trust have yet to be fully elaborated. By addressing the ambiguity in conceptualization and operationalization in previous studies based on social capital theory, the present study articulates the distinct impacts of SNS and IM on general trust with a specific focus on the mediating role of the diversity of personal networks. Analyses of survey data from Hong Kong (N = 987) demonstrate that SNS use has a positive indirect effect on general trust through increased network diversity, whereas IM use has both negative indirect and total effects on general trust through decreased network diversity. The differential consequences of SNS and IM use on general trust are discussed from the network-centered perspective of social capital.