The Use Of SNS Changes In Social Capital

As a new network service, SNS is gradually replacing blog and becoming the foremost networks tools for interpersonal communication and information dissemination. Not only changed the prevalence of SNS users'lifestyle, but also provided a new carrier for the research of network social capital. This study, related to social capital theory and based on SNS users which are mostly the youth, especially college students, selected 445 SNS users from Huazhong University of science and technology by systematic sampling. Though questionnaires to obtain their situation of SNS use, we further explore whether SNS intensity relates to three types of social capital, such as bridging social capital, bonding social capital and maintained social capital, and whether the degree of correlation interacts with mental health, like self-esteem and life satisfaction.We found that the existence of the network society is a virtual community, but SNS provides a relatively realistic networking platform. Using SNS may draw closer to the distance between each other, improve the trust of network society, and increase the weak ties. In other word, the greater SNS intensity, the more they gain bridging social capital. Meanwhile, SNS intensity can forecast maintained social capital. To a certain extent, the user take advantage of SNS to keep touch with the original high school classmates, and this potential connection may become new and valuable information resources. However, due to bonding social capital is a strong relationship, SNS intensity is not relevant to bonding social capital which is more suitable for generating in the real life of community. In addition, those with low self-esteem contrast with the high self-esteem, receiving bridging social capital and maintained social capital, which do not vary more with SNS intensity increasing higher. And the low life satisfaction contrast with the high, they have access to bridging social capital and maintained social capital would increase if SNS intensity increased.The paper tested the study hypothesis, contrasted with the previous study results and proposed probable explanations. At last, the author points out several shortages of the study during the research process.