Landon 1 Maddie Landon Dr.

Dietel-McLaughlin WR 13300- Multimedia Writing & Rhetoric 7 April 2014 Social Media in College: Change for the Better? Walk into any college classroom five minutes before class and what do you see? College students bending their heads over their phones or computers, on whatever social media website they are addicted to at that time. Rarely do students turn to a stranger sitting next to them and strike up a conversation because they can avoid social situations by retreating into the social media distractions on their phones or computers. In my short time as a college student, I have noticed that college students are constantly on their phoneschecking twitter, posting Buzzfeed posts on Facebook, searching for likes on Instagram. Even I will admit that I catch myself immediately looking at my phone during lulls in conversation or while walking across campus in order to avoid an awkward encounter with a person I only kind of know. At this point, it has become an involuntary action, especially since everyone else around me is doing the exact same thing. Though I used social media before coming to college, I have started using it more and more, repeatedly opening Twitter or Facebook in case there is a new post I missed. My use and dependency on social media has increased since I started college, and, curious as to whether this was just me or a college phenomenon, I asked some friends and they all realized, somewhat surprised, that their usage of social media has also grown since starting college. In fact, studies show that college students in America spend on average, three hours texting and an hour and 40 minutes on Facebook everyday (Reiner).

Landon 2 But why does a college environment invite students to up their dosage of social media, and is this increased use affecting our social and emotional health? The college experience has transformed since the introduction of social media in everyday life. Social networks have allowed college students to share their new experiences with old friends constantly and immediately, as well as look up the new people they are meeting at their new school. Many students use it to fill in the extra free time they are not used to having, or even escape from the stresses of classes, majors, internships, or any of the other many stressors young adults deal with in college. Andrew Reiner, a professor at Towson University who teaches a course called The Search for Intimacy in the Age of Facebook, has witnessed college students reliance on texting and social media firsthand. Reiner claims that excessive texting and social media use has led to social anxiety, emotional angst, and mental conformity (Reiner). I will discuss in depth the social and mental effects of social media later in this paper, but first, we must understand why college students feel the need to be constantly plugged in. Though many reasons contribute to this increase in social media usage during college, this paper argues that documenting new experiences, connecting with old and new friends, and having extra time are the most significant factors stimulating this phenomenon. Furthermore, though there are many beneficial uses for social media in a college students life, the students and their instructors and advisors should be aware of and understand some of the negative consequences that can result from excessive social media consumption. Students are thrown into a new environment, with new people and full of new experiences. Social networks, especially Facebook and Instagram, are used to document pictures of these new experiences and connect people who have just met. Within these new experiences and throngs of strangers, college students seek two subgoals of socialization: individuation and

Landon 3 social connection (Costanzo 62). In other words, they want to create their own identity but also connect with those around them. Social media provides an outlet for them to do just that: post pictures or information that individualize them while also making them part of an online community. Because social media is such a big part of the college culture today, it has become a social tool, a way to look people up and learn more about them and their interests. Submerging oneself in a completely unfamiliar environment is a daunting experience. Students use social media to make them more acquainted with the new people and experiences they are facing. Though social media is often used to connect people who have just met, studies show that the most common use of Facebook and other social sites is to keep in contact with old friends from distant communities (Ellison, Steinfield, and Lamp). Thus, the reason students use social media more once they get to college: to stay in touch with friends from home. When I compare this result to my own life, I see that it is exactly the reason I have increased my online activity. Friends post pictures of what they are doing at their schools in order to share their experiences with family and friends who are not there to experience it with them. Sometimes, this sharing of new experiences is actually the way college students brag to their friends from home that go to other colleges how great their school is and how much fun they are having (Freire 32). Other reasons for college students excessive Internet use is that they have extra free time that they did not have in high school and that they use social media as a way to avoid awkward social situations. The adjustment from high school to college is a huge lifestyle change. Students have to get used to not being in class for 8 straight hours a day. In the extra free time, they explore social networks to pass the time. Now that students have grown so used to constantly having some sort of media on their phones at any time, they develop a need for constant mental stimulation. Whether walking from class to class, or waiting in line at Starbucks, students can

Landon 4 often be found passing the time by uselessly scouring social media for some sort of entertainment. They also use social media as a way to escape looking, in the words of one of Reiners students, like a total loser without friends when they are alone in public or any potentially awkward social situations, such as when Reiner told his students to eat dinner by themselves without using any device to look busy (Reiner). By looking toward social media as a crutch instead of facing social situations and learning valuable social skills, college students are losing the art of effective face-to-face social conversation. Without practicing personal interactions with people, sans assistance from technology, Internet-dependent college students could become unable to pick up on certain social cues (Bargh and McKenna). Even if the help of online networks does not cause a decline of socials intelligence, it does seem to cause a decline of intimate, honest discussions with friends due to the impersonal aspect of social media interaction. It is now common in college life to meet someone first over a social network, or even more common to meet a person briefly and stalk him or her on Facebook later to find out more about them. Instead of actually putting in face time and getting to know the person gradually, we have access to pictures, interests, posts, likes and dislikes, before we might even know that persons last name. Social media has instigated a loss of mystery in getting to know someone, since we can know a great deal about a person at the push of a button. As Reiner proves through his students reluctant and bitter responses toward sending a friend a text that shares their true feelings about something this friend has done or said that upset them, communication through technology has also made relationships less personal and open (Reiner). Communication via impersonal means such as texting and Facebook messaging discourages intimacy or honesty in friendships. People who communicate mainly through these

Landon 5 kinds of social platforms often have problems with confrontation and expressing their feelings. This reservation toward personal expression or disagreeing with friends is also common in social media-crazed college students. One of Reiners students expressed her worry of disagreeing with her friend because it set her apart (Reiner). Thinking such as this has led much of our generation to become plugged-in, Internet-addicted zombies who unintentionally conform in a quest for social perfection (Reiner). Excessive use of social media does not just hinder social factors, but can also affect mental and emotional well-being. As mentioned before, social media can sometimes lead to conformity and limitation of imagination due to people not wanting to stand out, afraid to think deeper and outside the box. Reiner explains his frustration with his students inability to express their creative selves by describing their ideas as darting around in so many directions like dragonflies, never penetrating the surface (Reiner). They are so worried about saying the wrong thing that they limit themselves to agreeing with others and not thinking too differently from their peers. However, lack of creativity is not the only mental effect too much social networking can have on college students; an individuals self-esteem can also be greatly influenced by virtual media. A decline of self-esteem due to social media can stem from something as serious as cyber bullying, and as miniscule as not getting a lot of likes on an Instagram post. Either way, if a person puts too much stock in their social media presence, their confidence could take a nosedive if they do not receive the kind of attention they want. In some extreme cases, social networks have caused feelings of loneliness and increases in depression (Bargh and McKenna). In the article by Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe, a self-esteem measurement survey done at Michigan State University proved that a good amount of people admitted that Facebook made them feel

Landon 6 like a failure. One opinion of social media by Sproull and Keisler says that it can cause a greater sense or feeling of anonymity, which results in more self-centered behavior (Bargh and McKenna). Just look on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook on what is now a widespread trend of Selfie Sunday, in which people post selfies of themselves on Sunday, and you will see the kind of self-absorbed and self-affirming behaviors younger generations have developed with the help of social media. The millenial generationor, in Feires words, the Pay Attention to Me generation-- posts selfies merely for the purpose of getting likes and attracting attention; they think constantly tweeting about what they are doing and posting selfies on Instagrams is not only interesting, but necessary (32). Although, as I have pointed out in this paper so far, there are many downfalls of excessive use of social media in college students lives, social media was originally created to improve our lives and our relationships, and it continues to do so as long as we use it properly and to our advantage. In fact, 60% of college students believe the Internet to be beneficial to their relationships, not harmful (Bargh and McKenna). For college students specifically, social media has offered multiple mediums of communication that allows them to stay connected with their friends from home and other distant communities (Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe). Thanks to Facebook and other online sites, the likelihood of staying in touch with old friends, or at least know what is happening in their lives, has increased greatly. Social website users can look up friends they have lost touch with and see their life events, pictures, and interests. Though this may not be the most personal form of contact, it allows us to know what is going on with more people and in an easier, more efficient way. In addition to staying connected with already-established friendships, social media also offers way to meet people from all around the world with similar interests. Online networks have

Landon 7 made the world a smaller, more connected place. College students who use social media effectively can meet people in different parts of the world and establish a relationship or even just exchange ideas and expand their interests and knowledge on things they might not otherwise encounter. Social media has expanded their horizons. As mentioned above, Internet relations can impact self-esteem. This impact is often beneficial for an individuals sense of belonging. Many people believe that Internet use facilitates feelings of social connectedness and social support (Swickert et al.). Social media presents the opportunity to interact with people via chatrooms or group pages with mutual interests. With the help of hashtags on Twitter and Instagram or tags on Tumblr, people have easy and immediate access to their interests and to people who share those same interests. Connecting with people boosts self-esteem and causes people to have an increased sense of belonging. Furthermore, social media offers an outlet for people to be themselves and let out their creativity and imaginative ideas, free from social pressures that might hold them back in personal relationships or in the classroom, as Reiner experienced with his class. They can blog about whatever they want, writing stories and posting their opinions and pictures. Social media has provided a source, if used correctly, for expression and connection. At this point, social media is a part of a generations culture. It is an inevitable, unavoidable part of college social life. The best way to prevent the possible negative effects of social media from happening is to teach college students how to use it responsibly and in a way that could benefit them in the future. We can make them aware of any addictive behavior and teach them not to rely on it for everything. Most importantly, college students can be taught how to use social media as a tool for their future. Students can use websites like LinkedIn to build their resumes and establish connections with prospective employers (Social Networking in a College Setting). This website provides an easy source to present updated resumes and

Landon 8 portfolios available for professional purposes. Maintaining relationships over Facebook could even benefit a person professionally by keeping them connected with people who could offer them jobs, internships, or any other professional opportunities. Even Tumblr or other blogging sites can be used to document professional or personal progress. The surge of social media has indeed changed the college experience and caused the social norms of college to evolve. But is this really a bad thing? Sure, there are downsides and negatives to social media if college students overuse it or depend on it too much, but as long as they learn to use it in a beneficial way, social media has the ability to make life a whole lot easier. Especially to college students who are away from home for the first time in their lives, technological communication is key in remaining connected with friends around the country. The problem with social media only comes when they start not being able to function without it. Reiners article describes college students reacting like addicts when separated from their cellphones (Reiner). When used correctly, social media is a tool that improves life, not one that hinders social or mental health. As social media continues to become a more common mode of communication, not just for college students but for everyone, awareness of the possible negatives of social media overuse should be raised, as well, and most importantly, as understanding how to use social media to our advantage.

Landon 9 Works Cited Bargh, John A., and Katelyn Y.A. McKenna. "The Internet and Social Life." Annual Review of Psychology. New York University, 11 July 2003. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Costanzo, Philip R. External Socialization and the Development of Adaptive Individuation

and Social Connection. The Social Psychology of Mental Health: Basic Mechanisms and Applications. Ed. Diane N. Ruble, Philip R. Costanzo, and Mary Ellen Oliveri. New York: Guilford, 1992. 55-77. Print. Ellison, Nicole B., Charles Steinfield, and Cliff Lampe. "The Benefits of Facebook Friends: Social Capital and College Students Use of Online Social Network Sites." Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 12.4 (2007): 1143-168. Wiley Online Library, 23 Aug. 2007. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Freire, J.P. "Braggers Rites: A Humbling Experience in Social Media." American Spectator (2014): 32-33. American Search Premier. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. Reiner, Andrew. "Looking for 'likes'." New York Times 3 Nov. 2013: 38(L). Business Insights: Essentials. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. "Social networking in a college setting." UWIRE Text 28 Sept. 2010. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Swickert, Rhonda J., James B. Hittner, Jamie L. Harris, and Jennifer A. Herring. "Relationships among Internet Use, Personality, and Social Support." Computers in Human Behavior 18.4 (2002): 437-51. Science Direct. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.