In the context of globalization and the deepening internationalization of higher education

African students have become an important part of the international student population in China. The quality of their cross-cultural psychological adaptation directly affects both their personal growth and the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication between China and foreign countries. With the continuous advancement of digital technologies

social media has become the core medium through which African students in China perceive heterogeneous cultures and engage in social interactions

profoundly influencing their cross-cultural psychological adaptation in cognitive

emotional

and behavioral dimensions. Current academic research primarily focuses on empirical analyses of the overall international student population in China

while theoretical studies specifically addressing African students are relatively scarce. Moreover

there is insufficient systematic research on the intrinsic relationship and mechanisms between social media use and cross-cultural psychological adaptation. Based on a theoretical exploration

this paper systematically analyzes the dual impact of social media use on the cross-cultural psychological adaptation of African students in China. It further delves into the mediating role of social connectivity

the moderating effects of individual differences and cultural distance

and the core mechanisms of cultural cognitive reconstruction and identity building. The paper also reflects on the theoretical challenges faced by current research and suggests directions for optimization. The study aims to enrich the digital application scenarios of cross-cultural psychological adaptation theory

improve the theoretical framework linking social media use and cross-cultural adaptation

and provide theoretical references and practical guidance for enhancing the cross-cultural adaptation quality of African students in China and promoting high-quality Sino-foreign cross-cultural exchange.