The Impact of Social Participation Activities on Social Capital among the Hearing Impaired : The Mediating Effect of Digital Use Self-Efficacy

Key Points

• This research aims to explore how online social participation activities affect social capital among hearing-impaired individuals, focusing on the role of digital use self-efficacy.
• Analyzed data from 198 hearing-impaired individuals participating in the 2023 Digital Information Gap Survey.
• Evaluated the relationship between online social participation activities and social capital, mediated by digital use self-efficacy.
• Identified implications for digital inclusion strategies tailored for the hearing impaired community.
• Online social participation activities did not directly impact social capital.
• Digital use self-efficacy showed a significant mediating effect on the relationship between online participation and social capital.
• Indicates that enhancing digital skills is crucial for fostering social capital among the hearing impaired.

Abstract