Digital Communication and Interpersonal Relationshipsamong College Students: Comparing Relationship Qualityacross Chennai and Trichy

Vollständiger Abstract

Worum geht es in dieser Arbeit?

With the widespread use of digital communication technologies, personal communication among college students has greatly changed. The role of social media platforms (including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram) in academic collaboration, social engagement, and emotional expression has become a key aspect of life. While there has been a number of studies on the effects of social media on psychological well-being and academic performance, little research has focused on the effects of digital communication practices on interpersonal relationship quality. To fill this gap this study explores the relationships between digital communication practices, communication preference, emotional expression and the quality of interpersonal relationships among college students. The study used quantitative cross sectional survey design based on the theory of the uses and gratifications, social information processing theory, media richness theory and social presence theory. A total of 300 college students from Chennai and Trichy have been selected and data were collected on the basis of the validated measurement scales. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was employed to validate the scale and test its reliability and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relations. The results indicated that digital communication practices, communication preference and emotional expression were all statistically significant and positively related to the interpersonal relationship quality. The expression of emotions was the most strongly predictive of the quality of the relationship. The study adds to the field of communication studies by offering an integrated theory to explain how digital communication affects interpersonal relationships among college students and also has implications for implementing healthy digital communication practices in the college environment.