Does Social Media Promote or Hinder Health Learning? The Roles of Media Attention, Information Discussion, Information Elaboration, and Information Seeking Experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT Social media has become an important avenue for learning. However, the mechanisms underlying social media use and its influence on knowledge are not clear. Based on the cognitive mediation model, this study explored the pathways through which social media use was linked to health knowledge, taking into account different information acquisition patterns (e.g., media attention vs. information discussion), information processing (e.g., elaboration), and information seeking experience. With a cross-sectional survey conducted in China (N = 1,350), this study found that paying attention to health information on social media had a direct and positive relationship with health knowledge. However, discussing such information was negatively associated with knowledge. Media attention also had a positive relationship with information discussion. Both media attention and information discussion were positively related to information elaboration, which in turn, had a positive association with health knowledge. Also, the poor quality of health information seeking experience weakened the relationship between social media use and elaborative processing. This study provides important implications for health communication research and practice in the digital era.