BACKGROUND
This study aims to explore the relationship between social media and cross-cultural world-mindedness. The authors wanted to investigate the degree to which cultural perception was impacted by social media use by addressing social cognitive theory and media systems dependency theory.
OBJECTIVE
Specifically, the investigators wanted to assess if the type and amount of social media, or media dependence, influenced cultural world-mindedness.
METHODS
A cross-sectional analysis examined social media use and dependence, perception of environmental protection, tolerance of diversity, world citizenship, and resource sharing.
RESULTS
Results indicated there was a weak, negative relationship between environmental protection and social media use and dependence; a weak, positive relationship between world citizenship and social media use and dependence; and a weak, positive relationship between resource sharing and social media factors. To examine political affiliation differences in world-mindedness, a one-way ANOVA was conducted. Results indicated that overall, group differences were present, F(4, 1183) = 98.40, p < .001, η2 = .25. Based on the effect size (η2), it was apparent that a large effect was present. Post hoc testing using Bonferroni comparisons indicated that republicans were significantly lower in world-mindedness than all other groups, p < .001.
CONCLUSIONS
As social networking becomes more prominent, how culture is portrayed in the media can have a direct impact on building positive cross-cultural relationships.
Social media use, emotion regulation, and well-being in adults: A cross-cultural study