The Relationship Between Social Capital And The Social Media Usage Experience Of New Immigrants

Abstract

Social capital refers to the value derived from our social connections and networks. These networks, whether established online through social media platforms or offline through personal and professional associations, hold great significance in the world today. As the internet undergoes rapid development, social media has become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, significantly impacting the communication and social connections. By 2022, Taiwan had welcomed over 570,000 new immigrants, a community that has now become an integral part of Taiwanese society. Our study employs in-depth interviews and textual analysis to explore how the usage experience of social media may enhance the acquisition of social capital among new immigrants in Taiwan. This article aims to examine whether the experiences of Taiwanese new immigrants in utilizing online communities contribute to the acquisition of valuable information, the expansion of diverse interpersonal networks, and further the accumulation of various forms of social capital.