International Students: Challenges, Social Media Use, and...

"International Students: Challenges, Social Media Use, and Adaptation in Canada"

Presented by Sara Falahatpisheh, PhD candidate in Media Studies.

All are welcome.

Attend in-person: FNB 4070
Attend online: Zoom link

Abstract: Social media are an inseparable part of our lives, offering tools for communication, information sharing, and social interaction. For international students, these platforms can help overcome challenges such as cultural adaptation, academic pressures, and social isolation. Using the ‘Swiss Army knife’ metaphor, this paper highlights the adaptability of social media platforms in catering to diverse user needs, such as seeking information, maintaining connections, and fostering support. Affordances like visibility, persistence, and anonymity enable international students to connect with home cultures, explore the host country’s norms, and document their personal journeys. Yet, these same platforms can reinforce boundaries that hinder integrating into the host culture.

Additionally, the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory is used to identify motivations behind social media use. These motivations are social interaction, information seeking, escapism, and self-expression and help understand why international students adopt specific platforms. These insights contribute to the broader understanding of social media’s impact on international students’ adjustment, emphasizing how affordances and user motivations intersect to shape their experiences in the host country.