The Effect of digital habitus and capital on social presence in online social platforms: a multi-group analysis of facebook and roblox users

Grounded in Bourdieu's theory of practice, this study expands the concept of habitus by identifying the interconnections among digital habitus, capital, social presence, and continuous participation intention in the context of social media platforms. Employing a mixed-methods approach combining hierarchical linear regression and artificial neural network analyses, we examined data from 319 Roblox users and 359 Facebook users to explore social presence in digital environments and how distinct dispositions and forms of capital differentiate between users of these different platforms. In particular, this study aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of digital habitus in cyberspace by focusing on the differences between traditional social media and emerging metaverse platforms in terms of the extent to which users operationalize a dual identity, representing a negotiation between their real-world identity and virtual identities in these complex relationships heading toward social presence. In terms of academic contributions, this study develops a novel complex and multidimensional digital habitus concept that surpasses the concept of motivation to also incorporate four different kinds of disposition regarding cross-boundary navigation, transliteracy, augmented experiences, and virtual ownership including non-linear effects. Beyond digital habitus, the findings demonstrate that both economic and social capital exert a significant influence on social presence and continuance intention, whereas cultural capital does not significantly predict user participation. Moreover, the effects of digital habitus are significantly stronger among Roblox users than among Facebook users. In terms of practice, our findings offer insights into designing effective strategies to enhance and encourage user engagement.