Does social media use increase job satisfaction? The mediating role of digital social capital

Purpose While some scholars warn that workplace social media breeds distraction and overload, others see it as a catalyst for stronger workplace relationships, leaving its true effect on job satisfaction unresolved. This study aims to examine whether social media use enhances job satisfaction and investigates the mediating role of digital social capital in this relationship within the Indonesian bottled drinking water (Air Minum Dalam Kemasan [AMDK]) industry. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey was conducted with 206 employees working in AMDK companies in Indonesia. The proposed research model was tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. Findings Social media use positively influences job satisfaction and strongly predicts digital social capital, which in turn exerts a significant positive effect on job satisfaction and partially mediates the relationship between social media use and job satisfaction. Together, these findings suggest that the benefits of workplace social media emerge not from digital communication itself, but from the relational resources, trust, network connections and reciprocal support cultivated through sustained online interaction. Originality/value By integrating uses and gratifications (U&G) theory with the concept of digital social capital, this study offers a novel explanation of how social media use translates into positive employee attitudes, extending the organizational behavior and digital workplace literature. Set against the backdrop of the AMDK industry, under public scrutiny over Bisphenol A (BPA) concerns, the study further reveals how digital relational resources help employees sustain coordination, trust and well-being amid organizational adversity.