Will Social Media Use Reduce Relative Deprivation? Systematic Analysis of Social Capital's Mediating Effects of Connecting Social Media Use with Relative Deprivation

This study aimed at examining the relationship between social media use, communication with influential others, social capital, and relative deprivation. It examined the roles of two main variables-communication with influential others and social capital-for mediating social media use and relative deprivation. For this examination, a path model was tested through structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM results indicated that communication with influential others significantly and positively mediated the relationship between social media use and social capital-personal network and personal trust. Moreover, it could be found that social capital significantly reduced relative deprivation. These results indicate the considerable role of social media for reducing relative deprivation, helping the resolution of social problems related to relative deprivation.