Navigating academic and everyday life challenges in the US: the role of social media for international graduate students
Information and Learning Sciences
ISSN: 2398-5348
Article publication date: 4 July 2024
Issue publication date: 28 October 2024
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the adaptive experiences of first-year international graduate students at a US university. It aims to understand the challenges they encounter, strategies they adopt with social media to navigate these challenges and tensions that emerge in their social media interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a qualitative multiple-case research design to collect data from 22 semistructured interviews with 11 participants. Additionally, 110 social media artifacts were collected, focusing on international students’ use of social media in everyday and academic contexts.
Findings
This paper offers empirical insights into social media’s role in helping international students address practical challenges and fulfill learning needs in academic studies, assistantships, cultural understanding and the constructions of ethnic and peer groups for emotional and social support. Additionally, it identifies tensions such as addiction, distractions, emotional distress and the creation of filter bubbles.
Research limitations/implications
Given the qualitative approach of this paper, the generalizability of study findings is limited. Future studies can focus on different sites to explore context-related issues, students across different years or use a longitudinal research design to further explore international students’ experiences in relation to social media use and its role in their adaptation over time.
Practical implications
This paper proposes implementing social media curricula in universities to educate students on media literacy and digital competence and create peer groups to support international students beyond classrooms.
Originality/value
This paper adds value to informal learning literature focusing on international students.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author extends their heartfelt appreciation to their doctoral advisor, Dr Vanessa Dennen, for their immense support throughout this dissertation project. The author is also grateful for the reviewers and editors for their constructive feedback, which helped in improving this manuscript.
Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency.
Citation
He, D. (2024), "Navigating academic and everyday life challenges in the US: the role of social media for international graduate students", Information and Learning Sciences, Vol. 125 No. 10, pp. 877-896. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-12-2023-0200
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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