The Impact of Social Media Use Motives on Psychological and Sociocultural Adjustment of International Students

Abstract

In response to scholars’ call to examine the impact of social media on intercultural communication, this study specifically explores the impact of social media use motives on psychological and sociocultural adjustment of international students in the United States. One hundred and three international students from 19 countries enrolling in a U.S. college participated in this study. Participants filled out a questionnaire containing 63 questions about Internet use motives, intercultural adjustment, and other related variables. The results from T-test, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple regressions show that social media use motives are negatively correlated with one’s overall intercultural adjustment level. Results further show the significant impact of gender, age, and satisfaction on Internet use motives and intercultural adjustment. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.

Keywords

Social media use / intercultural adaptation / international students

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