ERIC Number: EJ1334076
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-May
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1521-0251
EISSN: N/A
Similar Patterns, Different Implications: First-Generation and Continuing College Students' Social Media Use and Its Association with College Social Adjustment
Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, v24 n1 p79-98 May 2022
Social adjustment to college can be challenging, and social networking sites (SNSs) may ease the process. SNSs as an adjustment tool may be particularly useful for those who have relatively limited social support in their proximal environments, such as first-generation college students. This study explored how first-generation and continuing students used Facebook and Instagram, and how their usage was related to college social adjustment. Survey data from 251 undergraduates (M[subscript age] = 19.55; 33% first generation) showed that first-generation students engaged in less Facebook interaction with on-campus friends than continuing students. For both groups, SNS interaction with on-campus friends was related to better social adjustment. Continuing students' Instagram interaction with family was also related to better adjustment. In contrast, first-generation students' Instagram interaction with off-campus friends and Instagram broadcasting were both related to poor adjustment. In conclusion, the two groups used SNSs in similar manners, but the implications of SNS use for college adjustment varied by students' first-generation status.
Descriptors: First Generation College Students, Social Media, Use Studies, Social Adjustment, Undergraduate Students, Learner Engagement, School Holding Power, Individual Differences
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A