Sociological Analysis of the Role of Virtual Social Networks in The Formation of Social Modernization Components among Students (Case Study: Students of Payam Noor University, Golestan Province)

The present study investigates the formation of social modernization components connected to virtual social networks.

The research is descriptive and wasdone with a survey technique. The statistical population included all the students of Payam Noor University of Golestan province, numbering 6168 people, of which 463 were randomly selected using Cochran's sampling method.

The results of correlation coefficients showed that the relationship between the use of virtual social networks and the components of social modernization, including the variables of universalism, individualism, emotional neutrality, and familyism, was significant. On the other hand, the relationship between this factor and other components of social modernization, including the variables of separation, acquisition, and cosmopolitanism, was not significant. The results of structural equation modeling in the test of research hypotheses showed that the variable of using virtual social networks could explain emotional neutrality, individualism, separation, and universalism from the components of social modernization, respectively.

The result of the research shows that the use of social networks by students has increased the formation of social modernization components (universalism, individualism, emotional neutrality, and separation) in them. Therefore, virtual social networks can be used in the formation of social modernization