Examining Different Viewer Engagement Patterns for Social Capital on Streaming Communities

Abstract

Live streaming is not only a popular form of entertainment but also a channel through which streamers and users can engage in social interactions and develop social capital. The current study surveyed 522 users of live streaming videos to examine how different engagement patterns (e.g., cognitive, affective, and behavioral) are associated with factors that contribute to social capital, including trust, identification, norms, volunteerism, and collective efficacy. Our findings indicate that affective and behavioral engagement were associated with increased social capital through different paths. However, cognitive engagement was not associated with any of the factors that predict social capital. The study argues that live streaming platforms, like other social networking platforms, can build social capital that can be mobilized for potential collective action. More importantly, the study expands our theoretical understanding of how different live streaming engagement patterns affect social capital through distinct factors.