Factors affecting social network use by students in Tunisia

BACKGROUND: Several theories have developed instruments for assessing the acceptance of using technologies. This work is a continuation of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) research for the review of the factors affecting the acceptance of digital social networks (DSN) among Tunisian students. OBJECTIVE: We aim to bring a better understanding of technology use in the educational context. More specifically, we investigate the determinants of digital social network (DSN) acceptance by Tunisian students and the effects of this acceptance on students’outcomes in the presence of social isolation as a mediating variable and fear of COVID-19 to ensure the continuity of university pedagogy. METHOD: We used the survey method, sampling stutents (N = 100) during the COVID-19 pandemic to test this model. For the data analysis, this study employed structural equation modeling through the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and condition process modeling. RESULTS: The research found that Social Influence (SI); Effort Expectancy (EE), Facilitating Conditions (FC), and Performance Expectancy (PE) have a significant and affirmative effect on the behavioral intention (BI) and influence of behavioral intention on digital social network (DSN) user behavior in learning (UBL). Furthermore, Social Isolation (SIS) as a mediating variable and fear of COVID-19 (FOC) has a significant effect between dimensions of adjusted unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model and behavioural intention of learning by digital social network (DSN) applications. CONCLUSION: The new adjusted conceptual model is a significant contribution to the current knowledge, which will enhance the dimensions of the actual unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. Moreover, the findings have significant implications for educators and decision-makers involved in designing learning through digital social network (DSN) applications for implementation in universities.