Social Media Use Among International Students: Cultural Adaptation and Socialization

Abstract

The study aims to find out the purposes for which international students use social media and its effects on users in the course of adaptation to a new culture and social environment. In accordance with this aim, international students have been selected as the sample case from Kırklareli University which is located in the northwest of Turkey. In-depth semi-structured interviews have been carried out with 20 students who were contacted through the KLU Inter-national Student Club. In light of the obtained data, it has been concluded that international students have made some changes in the social media tools they use to adapt to their new social and cultural environment and their usage purposes. Besides, the research found that students have instrumentalized social media in the context of language learning, expanding their social environment, improving cultural interactions and maintaining cultural&social ties with the homeland.

Keywords

• Cultural adaptation
• Acculturation
• Social media
• International students
• International students
• Communication

Uluslararası Öğrencilerin Sosyal Medya Kullanımı: Kültürel Adaptasyon ve Sosyalleşme

Öz

Çalışmanın amacı, uluslararası öğrencilerin sosyal medyayı hangi amaçlarla kullandıkları ve bu sosyal medya kullanımının yeni bir kültüre ve sosyal çevreye adaptasyon bağlamındaki etkilerini ortaya çıkarmaktır. Bu amaçla Türkiye’nin kuzeybatısında bulunan Kırklareli Üniversitesindeki uluslararası öğrenciler örneklem olarak seçilmiş ve KLU Uluslararası Öğrenci Kulübü aracılığıyla temasa geçilen 20 öğrenciyle yarı yapılandırılmış derinlemesine görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen veriler ışığında, uluslararası öğrencilerin yeni girdikleri sosyal ve kültürel çevreye adapte olmak için kullandıkları sosyal medya araçları ve bunları kullanım amaçlarında birtakım değişikliklere gittikleri tespit edilmiştir. Bunun yanında öğrencilerin dil öğrenme, kültürel oryantasyon, sosyal çevreyi genişletme, kültürel etkileşim ve anavatanla kültürel ve sosyal bağları koruma bağlamında sosyal medyayı araçsallaştırdıkları görülmüştür.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kültürel Adaptasyon
• Kültürel Uyum
• Sosyal Medya
• Uluslararası Öğrenciler
• İletişim

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