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WeChat as a Digital Campus Ecosystem: Implications for Sino-US Student Exchange
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Abstract
For Chinese undergraduates, WeChat has evolved far beyond a mere messaging application into the central infrastructure of university life, functioning effectively as a comprehensive digital campus operating system. This paper explores how this super-app seamlessly integrates academic administration, social interaction, and daily services into a single, high-context ecosystem where boundaries between public and private life are fluid. By contrasting this integrated model with the fragmented digital tools typical of US universities (e.g., separate email, LMS, and social media platforms), the study identifies critical friction points in Sino-US student exchanges, which include mismatches in communication channels, conflicting expectations regarding response immediacy, and divergent notions of privacy and social boundaries. Drawing on empirical literature regarding media usage, cross-cultural adaptation, and social psychology, the paper argues that successful exchange requires “digital cultural competence” alongside language proficiency. Practical recommendations are proposed for students and institutions to bridge this digital divide, ensuring the digital experience enhances rather than hinders the human connection and transforming potential friction into opportunities for deeper mutual understanding.
Keywords
WeChat; Digital Campus; Cross-cultural Communication; Chinese Higher Education; Sino-US Exchange
References
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How to cite this paper
WeChat as a Digital Campus Ecosystem: Implications for Sino-US Student Exchange
How to cite this paper: Ziye Qi. (2026). WeChat as a Digital Campus Ecosystem: Implications for Sino-US Student Exchange. The Educational Review, USA, 10(2), 87-91.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.02.004
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