The influence of social media on the social identification and cross-cultural adaptation of international students in Europe: a longitudinal analysis

Abstract

Acculturation research of international students has emphasized the importance of identification patterns and feelings of belongingness to achieve a successful adaptation during the student mobility period; these studies have tended to focus on identification towards the home and host country only. However, the rapidly increasing diversity in host societies calls for a more inclusive approach. Thus, the present study aimed at expanding this notion by including home nationals that live in the host country and other international students as groups that can provide a sense of identification that predicts adaptation. In the current globalized world is clear that acculturation experiences are being shaped by the advancements of technology and social media, which have allowed international students to access resources that were not available years ago. Thus, through a longitudinal design with three time points, the study examined in a sample of 234 international students in Europe, the impact that social media usage has in the social identification processes of international students. The results showed that social media usage and identification are positively related among all groups, however there is a direct longitudinal effect only for the group of host nationals and international students. In the case of identification and cross-cultural adaptation, effects were found for all groups except for host nationals. The overall model that tested the effects of social media usage on identification and later on adaptation was accurate for the international students’ group.