How does Chinese millennials’ active social media use relate to their future goals? A moderated mediation model

Abstract

China has achieved great economic and technological development, with the internet emerging as a further significant factor. Chinese millennials have grown up with the internet, which has shaped their ideas and behaviors. According to social change and human development theory, rapid development and popularization of communication technologies drive human change. Compared with traditional media, social media has become more integrated into people’s daily lives, which makes the effects of social media more potent. The current study tested the mediating role of desire for fame in relation to the connection between active WeChat use and future goals, including intrinsic and extrinsic goals. A sample of 422 Chinese university students completed a survey measuring active WeChat use, future goals, desire for fame, and narcissism. Results indicated that active WeChat use was associated with both extrinsic and intrinsic goals. Moreover, desire for fame mediated the association between active WeChat use and external and intrinsic goals. The mediation path linking active social media use to intrinsic goals differed from that linking active social media use to external goals. Compared with individuals with low-level narcissism, individuals with high-level narcissism who actively use WeChat were more likely to desire fame, which further drives them to pursue external goals. These findings advance understanding of how and when active WeChat use is associated with future goals for millennials, thus providing more empirical data at an individual level to enrich theory in the Chinese context.