To explore the relationship between online social capital and future expectation among university students in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the relationship between online social capital and future expectations among university students. A total of 293 participants were involved in this cross-sectional research. The Future Expectation Scale for Adolescents (FESA) was employed to assess students’ future expectations, while the Internet Social Capital Scale (ISCS) was utilized to examine their online social capital. The results reveal a significant positive association between online social capital and future expectations (p < .001). Specifically, online bonding was found to predict all aspects of future expectations, whereas online bridging predicted most aspects, with the exception of church and community perspectives. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of online social capital in fostering young adults’ future expectations, which, in turn, the exchange of online social capital is further facilitated, benefiting university students in terms of career opportunities, global collaboration, knowledge acquisition, cultural understanding, and personal growth.

KEYWORDS:

• Social capital
• Internet
• youth
• future expectation
• social networking

Acknowledgments

We would like to express their gratitude to all participants who contributed to this study by taking the time to complete the surveys. Their valuable input and cooperation are greatly appreciated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).