A large number of online friends and a high frequency of social interaction compensate for each Other’s shortage in regard to perceived social support

The present study explored the role of the number of online friends, the frequency of social interaction and their interaction in perceived social support on WeChat, a widely used social network service, among Chinese undergraduates. A total of 1396 Chinese undergraduates completed questionnaires regarding their number of friends, frequency of social interaction and perceived social support on WeChat. The results indicated that the undergraduates’ number of friends was positively related to their perceived social support, but this link was significantly stronger for undergraduates with a low frequency of social interaction than for their counterparts. Similarly, a high frequency of social interaction was found to be positively associated with perceived social support, but this relationship was much stronger for undergraduates with a smaller number of friends than for their counterparts. However, undergraduates with both a large number of friends and a high frequency of social interaction did not acquire more social support than those with only one of the two online advantages. These findings suggest that the interaction between the two online factors on perceived social support should follow a compensatory pattern rather than an additive one. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.