Digital Citizenship and Digital Entrepreneurial Competence Mediate the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Online Prosocial Behavior Among University Students

The growing use of social media in higher education raises important questions about how it promotes constructive online behavior among university students. This study examined whether Digital Citizenship (DC) and Digital Entrepreneurial Competence (DEC) mediate the relationship between Social Media Use (SMU) and Online Prosocial Behavior (OPB). A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 310 undergraduate students selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that SMU significantly predicted DC (β = 0.212, p < 0.001) and DEC (β = 0.325, p < 0.001), but did not directly predict OPB (β = 0.057, p = 0.150). In contrast, DC (β = 0.314, p < 0.001) and DEC (β = 0.583, p < 0.001) significantly enhanced OPB. Mediation analysis further showed that DC (β = 0.066, p = 0.001) and DEC (β = 0.190, p < 0.001) fully mediated the relationship between SMU and OPB, with DEC emerging as the stronger pathway. These findings extend Social Cognitive Theory by showing that social media contributes to online prosocial behavior primarily through the development of digital competencies rather than through direct exposure alone. The study highlights the need for higher education institutions to strengthen digital citizenship and digital entrepreneurial competence to foster responsible and prosocial participation in digital environments.