The Role of Social Media in Shaping the Sociocultural Adaptation of Mainland Chinese Students in Hong Kong

Social media has become an essential part of the cross-cultural adaptation mechanism in the framework of digital globalization. More mainland Chinese students chose to continue their higher education in Hong Kong in the recent past, where they unavoidably come across a number of cultural adjustment-related issues. The complex context for sociocultural adaptation is created by Hong Kong's unique media environment, which is characterized by a link to both mainland and international platforms. The wide range of research on cross-cultural adaptation that is currently available concentrates on elements like language, social support, or psychological stress. Few studies have concentrated on social media's function as a mediating mechanism in this process, especially in the Special Administrative Region where Hong Kong's mainland Chinese students have culturally different environments. By examining exactly how various social media usage patterns impact these students' sociocultural adaptation, this research closes this knowledge gap. The findings indicate that improved cultural adaptation outcomes are significantly correlated with higher levels of social media usage, preferences for international platforms (like Facebook), and active information-seeking behaviors. Based on Kim's Cross-Cultural Adaptation Theory, an open information environment promotes adaptation, and social media is an essential resource for helping students get past information barriers and access localized content. Moreover, international platforms facilitate social learning and integration more successfully because of their varied content and improved local connectivity. This study offers practical implications for educators and policymakers in multicultural academic settings.