International Students and American Social Media

Haochen (Andy) Long

Most international students come to study in a foreign country not to just pursue academic achievements but also to explore immersive cultural experiences. However, as a member of the international student community and someone that shares that same mindset, I could attest to the difficulty of stepping out of my comfort zone and fitting into the social circles of domestic students. Throughout the eight years of my own educational journey as an international student and also the observations I have made on my peers, I have noticed the significant role social media plays in the immersion process of international education and think it could be immensely helpful to analyze this issue further.

First of all, it is always interesting to look at the various social media platforms used by people from different countries. While American social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook have been exerting dominant popularity and influence among the younger generation across the globe, it is still not the case with some of the most popular home countries of international students. Take the major home country of international students at UCSB, China, for example, none of the three mentioned social media apps are accessible throughout their time at home. An apparent connection between these diversified uses of social media applications and the social networking between international and domestic students is the absence of a communication bridge. In this digital age, we cannot stress enough the importance of online communication and connections.

While students could still interact with each other academically and collaboratively using group chats, emails, shared drives, and so on, these forms of communication lack a sense of approachability and personal connection. It is just a fact that people do not form strong bonds and long-lasting friendships over study groups and work. While students from different countries may use various social media, one may argue that international students can resolve this cultural shock and social gap by simply starting using local social media options. However, if the issue were to be solved this easily, why then do numerous international students still refrain from using trending apps such as Snapchat? The truth is that there is little incentive for them to do so. After all, what is the point of social media if none of your friends are on it as well? In other words, a lot of the international students are not as inclined to invest in a new online identity outside of their comfort zone which only gives them few actual connections in return. Therefore, a vicious cycle of peer disconnect is formed when international students, without many in-person connections with their American peers upon arrival, do not participate in the local popular culture online. This unfamiliarity with the social media world then distances them from the social circles of domestic students, which further discourages and frustrates their effort of immersion into the social and networking world.

Overall, with the growing usage of social media among students in the U.S. nowadays, peer communication and networks have also grown more and more dependent on these online social circles. A lot of international students, however, are often excluded from the virtual niche that domestic students occupy. This disconnection in online communication could exacerbate the gap between international and domestic students, which significantly impacts the quality of their educational experience. 

As an international student advocacy board, I think the best action we can take is to continue focusing on fostering connections and networking opportunities between domestic and international students so that their use of “American” or local social media platforms can extend beyond class works and relationships with their domestic peers could be more than just group project teams but also long-lasting friendships.