RESEARCH PAPER RESEARCH PAPER 1 Bruce W. Norcise Excelsior College LA 298 CAPSTONE How has social Media affected today’s Youth? Social Media is a prominent part of today's life, especially among young people. Unfortunately, the users of social media do not stop to think about the effects it has on their lives. For instance, people are becoming anti-social while they are at the same time desperate to make more friends on Facebook or get more followers on Twitter. People need to know the impact of social media, both negative and positive, rather than just engage blindly. While there are many positive aspects of social media, the negative aspects are equally many. To help make the right choices, this paper will be an analysis of the effects of social media on youths, and how the negative effects can be handled. This paper will help youths and parents understand the dangers of social media and know the boundaries they should use as they use it. Failure to do so will cause them to fall to varying traps and dangers that will have negative consequences. Social media is one sector of the internet that is greatly used by criminals. On this site, youths get exposed to cyberbullying, online predators and sexting. These dangers should be discussed to let people know their damaging effects and how they can be avoided. Other than the above-mentioned dangers of using social media, there are effects that are rarely discussed. For instance, teens are not aware of the dangers of exposing their address on public platforms. This paper will expose these dangers and many more as well as provide the most appropriate solutions. References Agosto, D., & Abbas, J. (2010). High school seniors' social network and other ict use preferences and concerns. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 47(1), Christakis, D. (2006). Media as a public health issue. Editorial. Archives ofPediatric and Adolescent Medicine Donath, J. (2007). Signals in social supernets. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 13(1), article  21 Journal of College & Character The Impact of Social Media on College Students Jeanna Mastrodicasa, University of Florida Paul Metellus, University of Florida1 Abstract There are numerous ways, positive and negative, in which social media impact college students. Understanding sheer volume of time and the type of activities for which college students use social networking sites is crucial for higher education administrators. Researchers have begun to empiri- cally examine impacts on students’ well-being and have found some preliminary results that call for more research. They find that social media are not the problem—the problem is the specific use and purpose of social media activities that make the difference. 1 Jeanna Mastrodicasa is assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of Florida. E-mail: [email protected] Paul Metellus is an undergraduate at.

1. RESEARCH PAPER
RESEARCH PAPER
1
Bruce W. Norcise
Excelsior College
LA 298 CAPSTONE
How has social Media affected today’s Youth?
Social Media is a prominent part of today's life, especially
among young people. Unfortunately, the users of social media
do not stop to think about the effects it has on their lives. For
instance, people are becoming anti-social while they are at the
same time desperate to make more friends on Facebook or get
more followers on Twitter. People need to know the impact of
social media, both negative and positive, rather than just engage
blindly. While there are many positive aspects of social media,
the negative aspects are equally many. To help make the right
choices, this paper will be an analysis of the effects of social
media on youths, and how the negative effects can be handled.
This paper will help youths and parents understand the dangers
of social media and know the boundaries they should use as

2. they use it. Failure to do so will cause them to fall to varying
traps and dangers that will have negative consequences. Social
media is one sector of the internet that is greatly used by
criminals. On this site, youths get exposed to cyberbullying,
online predators and sexting. These dangers should be discussed
to let people know their damaging effects and how they can be
avoided. Other than the above-mentioned dangers of using
social media, there are effects that are rarely discussed. For
instance, teens are not aware of the dangers of exposing their
address on public platforms. This paper will expose these
dangers and many more as well as provide the most appropriate
solutions.
References
Agosto, D., & Abbas, J. (2010). High school seniors' social
network and other ict use preferences and concerns. Proceedings
of the American Society for Information Science and
Technology, 47(1),
Christakis, D. (2006). Media as a public health issue.
Editorial. Archives ofPediatric and Adolescent Medicine
Donath, J. (2007). Signals in social supernets. Journal of
Computer‐Mediated Communication, 13(1), article
21
Journal of College & Character
The Impact of Social Media on College Students

3. Jeanna Mastrodicasa, University of Florida
Paul Metellus, University of Florida1
Abstract
There are numerous ways, positive and negative, in which social
media impact college students.
Understanding sheer volume of time and the type of activities
for which college students use social
networking sites is crucial for higher education administrators.
Researchers have begun to empiri-
cally examine impacts on students’ well-being and have found
some preliminary results that call for
more research. They find that social media are not the
problem—the problem is the specific use and
purpose of social media activities that make the difference.
1 Jeanna Mastrodicasa is assistant vice president for student
affairs at the University of Florida. E-mail: [email protected]
Paul
Metellus is an undergraduate at the University of Florida and is
a participant in NASPA’s Undergraduate Fellows program. E-
mail:
[email protected]
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NASPA 2013
Invited Feature Article
VOLUME 14, No. 1, February 2013
College administrators should start with the basic advice of
Heiberger and Harper (2008), which is to “learn
to use the variety of electronic media available in positive
ways: to stay connected to college social net-
works, promote relevant events, and help students feel safe and

4. at home on campus” (p. 19). Beyond those
basics, recent research shows more insight into understanding
how specific activities on social media sites
impact and predict student outcomes. Accordingly, Junco
(2011b) recommended using research results to
help inform interventions to support student learning and
engagement as well as interventions for students
who exhibit problem behaviors.
Significant Use of Technology by College Students
It may seem like all college students are using technology at all
times, and generally speaking, there is truth
to that statement. Most college students come to campus with
multiple technology devices, using their de-
vices for reasons both academic and personal. As of 2012,
students had a clear preference for smart, mobile
devices: 86% of students own laptops, 62% own smartphones,
33% own desktop computers, and 15% own
a tablet. Having access to various devices, especially mobile
ones, means the ability to be constantly con-
nected with social media (Dahlstrom, 2012).
mailto:[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]
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VOLUME 14, No. 1, February 2013
Nevertheless, not all college students have the same ownership
and proficiency with technology. A

5. digital divide exists in that there are differences among gender,
race, and income with college student use
of technology. For example, female and White students owned
cell phones at a rate more than twice as high
as that of men and African American students. Further, students
in the $100,000–$149,000 per year income
bracket were more than three times as likely to own a cell phone
than those from the median bracket. Race,
gender, and income also proved to have differing outcomes:
Being female, African American, and/or from
the highest income brackets were positively predictive of the
number of text messages sent and the amount
of time spent talking on a cell phone per week (Junco, Merson,
& Salter, 2010). Accordingly, college ad-
ministrators need to remain sensitive to the fact that all college
students do not have the same degree of
access to technology.
Social Networking Sites/Social Media
Social networking sites are websites that allow users to connect
to one another based on shared interests,
activities, or characteristics. Users can post their personal
information and pictures on a profile page, which
displays a list of the user’s connections, also known as
“friends” (Junco & Cole-Avent, 2008; Junco &
Mastrodicasa, 2007). These sites allow various forms of
communication between users, such as wall posts,
comments, pictures, and private messages as well as ways to tag
photos in order to identify those in the
picture (Junco & Cole-Avent, 2008; Junco & Mastrodicasa,
2007). Even as far back as 2007, 94% of first-
year students reported spending time on online social
networking websites during a typical week (Higher
Education Research Institute, 2007).

6. Beyond the social networking sites themselves, the popularity
of mobile technology with cell phones
has provided another layer of impact on college students.
Having near-constant mobile access provides op-
portunities for access to the Internet from any location,
anonymous communication, instant sharing of in-
formation, and quick ways to take and share photos. Students
are not using social media sites only at home
on a computer; they are also using these sites via their cell
phones.
Facebook is the most popular social networking site as of 2012,
with 90% of college students using it
(Dahlstrom, deBoor, Grunwald, & Vockley, 2011; Junco,
2011a). The most recent data showed that of the
90% of students who use social networking websites, 97% said
they used Facebook daily (Smith & Caruso,
2010). In one recent study of 5,414 college students, Junco
(2011a) found that students checked Facebook
a mean of 5.75 times per day. Students spent about 1 hour and
40 minutes per day on Facebook according
to two recent studies (Junco & Cotten, 2012; Junco, 2011a).
Junco (2011a) compiled various activities on Facebook and
distilled them to a 14-item list, and then
used a large sample of college students to determine activities
in which they participated. This list repre-
sents the best summary of activities on Facebook for college
students at this time. See Figure 1.
For the college administrator, understanding the amount of time
and the type of activities for which
college students use them is what makes the difference with
social media sites (Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe,
2011; Henry, 2012; Junco, 2011a; Junco, Heiberger, & Loken,
2010). For example, Junco (2011a) showed

7. that time spent on Facebook commenting about, creating, or
RSVP’ing to events is positively predictive of
time spent in cocurricular activities, while playing games on
Facebook is negatively predictive. Similarly,
other studies have shown that using Facebook (Ellison et al.,
2011) in certain ways leads to better psychoso-
cial outcomes, and that using Twitter (Junco et al., 2010) in
certain ways leads to better academic outcomes.
Impact of Social Media on College Students 23
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Twitter is more commonly used in the classroom because it is a
microblogging and social networking
platform that allows users to post 140-character updates to
provide for more discussion (Junco, Elavsky,
& Heiberger, 2012). The youngest age demographic (18–29
years) is most represented on Twitter at 29%
of their user base (Pring, 2012). Bingham and Conner (2010)
offered support for microsharing, such as in
the use of Twitter in 140 character bursts, as a way to support a
healthy culture. By following others who
offer value and controlling the list by eliminating those who do
not, a user can participate in the modern
version of “water cooler chat,” which “offers clues to those
around us, leading us to know, trust, and help
one another” (p. 84).
There is a vast volume of users for these primary social media
sites of Facebook and Twitter, and
nearly a quarter of the time Internet users spend online (22.5%)
is in social networking. As of September

8. 2012, Facebook had 950 million active users and more than 2
billion registered users, compared to Twitter’s
more than 500 million registered users, but only 140 million
active users. Other popular social media sites
that are available include LinkedIn, which provides for career
networking, and Instagram, which connects
users who post photos (Pring, 2012). However, this article will
only discuss Facebook and Twitter use due
to their overwhelmingly popular usage among college students.
Figure 1. Percentage of students who somewhat frequently (75%
of the time) or very frequently (100% of the time)
participate in these activities on Facebook (Junco, 2011a).
Checking up ..............................(37%)
Viewing photos .........................(37%)
Commenting .............................(34%)
Chatting on Facebook ............(23%)
Updating a status .....................(16%)
Posting photos ...........................(11%)
Playing games .............................. (9%)
Tagging photos ............................ (8%)
Private messages ........................ (8%)
Sharing links ................................ (6%)
Alerting to events ...................... (4%)

9. Posting videos ............................. (3%)
Viewing videos ............................ (3%)
Tagging videos ............................. (2%)
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Well-Being
Henry’s exploratory study of more than 1000 college students
examined the impact of technology and
specific aspects of psychosocial wellness, looking for
correlations among the variables. She found tech-
nological activities that contributed to more positive measures
of psychosocial well-being and sense of
community were social in nature (e.g., networking on a social
media site, chatting with others online, or
talking on a cell phone. Similarly, when motivations for using
social media or other technology were so-
cial in nature, such as making friends and meeting new people,
there were positive scores (Henry, 2010,
2012).
Yet when students used technology or social media for purposes
that were solitary in nature, such
as surfing the Internet, watching videos, or playing video or
computer games alone, those activities led to
lower scores on the measures of psychosocial well-being and

10. sense of community (Henry, 2010, 2012).
Henry also found that students with less social motivations for
using technology or social media, such as
procrastinating or learning more about interests, contributed to
less positive scores on measures of psycho-
social well-being and sense of community.
Henry (2012) found that when students were using technology
to seek support for personal issues or
problems, those students reported higher scores on measures of
loneliness, depression, shyness, and social
anxiety and lower scores on perceived social skill, social self-
confidence, and social self-efficacy (p. 22).
She also found that when students were procrastinating or
wasting time using technology or social media,
they showed higher measures of loneliness, depression, shyness,
and social anxiety; in addition to lower
scores on perceived social skill, social self-confidence, and
social self-efficacy. Her conclusion was that
students who experience psychological stressors are using
technology and social media to cope and find
sources of support, as well as to procrastinate or to pass time (p.
22).
The work of Gonzales and Hancock (2011) showed that
selective self-presentation using social media
sites like Facebook can have a positive influence on self-
esteem, especially when the individual selectively
self-presents by editing information about the self.
Social Capital
Individuals receive benefits from their social relationships and
interactions such as emotional support, ex-
posure to diverse ideas, and access to new information. Those
benefits are called social capital. College

11. students have been shown to gain social capital from Facebook
use (Ellison et al., 2007, 2011). Social capi-
tal is related to indices of psychological well-being, such as
self-esteem and satisfaction with life (Bargh &
McKenna, 2004; Helliwell & Putnam, 2004). Greater social
capital increases commitment to a community
and sets one up to draw on resources from other members of the
networks to which he or she belongs. These
resources can take the form of useful information, personal
relationships, or the capacity to organize groups
(Paxton, 1999).
Ellison et al. (2007) found that Facebook appeared to play an
important role in the process by which
students formed and maintained social capital. For example,
they showed that Facebook intensity predicted
increased levels of maintained social capital, such as how
participants relied on high school acquaintances
to do small favors, used Facebook to keep in touch with old
friends, and maintained or intensified relation-
ships that were initiated through another connection such as
residence hall proximity or a shared class. Ad-
ditionally, Ellison et al. (2011) later found that engaging in
social information-seeking behaviors on Face-
Impact of Social Media on College Students 25
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book (to learn more about a person with whom the user already
has a connection) was related to increased
social capital, while using Facebook to maintain relationships
and meet strangers was not. Overall, the use

12. of social media provides an opportunity to build and maintain
social capital.
Identity Development
Just as previous generations of college students established
identities as part of their student development
(e.g., Chickering & Reisser 1993; Erickson, 1963), today’s
college students also develop their identity on-
line through their profile and postings. Gonzales and Hancock
(2011) described social networking sites as a
means to provide multiple opportunities for selective self-
presentation through photos, personal details, and
witty comments. They stated that “social-networking sites
exemplify how modern technology sometimes
forces us to reconsider previously understood psychological
processes” (p. 82). Social networking sites
provide a method to showcase one’s ideal identity in a virtual
manner by updating status, posting to walls,
sharing photos, and making comments on each other’s pages
(boyd & Ellison, 2007; Hum et al., 2011;
Junco & Mastrodicasa, 2012; Kramer & Winter, 2008; Pempek,
Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009). Further,
those identities are honed as students choose to indicate
membership of certain subgroups, such as race,
gender, sexual orientation, and subcultures (e.g., music,
movies), in constructing their online identity (Hum
et al., 2011; Junco & Mastrodicasa, 2012; Pempek,
Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009).
Another relevant aspect to today’s students and the role of
social media is the concept of the electronic
tether, which has been a factor in the college student-parent
relationship (Hofer, 2008). College students
frequently communicate with their parents on a regular basis.
Hofer and Moore (2010) found students com-

13. municated 13 times per week with parents, and Junco and
Mastrodicasa (2007) found that the median num-
ber of times was 1.5 per day. At the same time, college students
should be developmentally attempting to
become self-regulating, autonomous individuals (Chickering &
Reisser, 1993). The role of the cell phone,
electronic communication, and social media in the relationships
of college students and their parents is still
being studied, but Hofer (2008) argued that those devices,
acting as an electronic tether, hinders the devel-
opment of autonomy of college students. Hofer and Moore’s
(2010) book The iConnected Parent discussed
the topic and offered advice to parents of college students on
letting go.
Relationships With Peers
Technology and social media sites can help facilitate offline
social interaction for college students, not re-
place it (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). Jacobsen and Forste (2011)
pointed out that students are multitasking,
and are likely sending and receiving text messages, checking
social media sites while hanging out with
friends, and using those to make plans with friends.
The hook-up culture of today’s youth also has a role with social
media and their ability to connect
sexually with partners (Heussner, 2011; Reddick, 2012). In
particular, gay college students use social media
and websites to facilitate anonymous sexual encounters
(Reddick, 2012). The ability to peruse photos and
videos, and to find others online provides yet another method
for couples to meet (Heussner, 2011).
The frequent use of “checking up” as reported by Facebook
users (Junco, 2011a) also applies to ex-

14. romantic partners who use the social media site to conduct
surveillance and that such activities are harmful.
Marshall (2012) found that Facebook surveillance was
associated with greater current distress over the
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VOLUME 14, No. 1, February 2013
breakup, as well as more negative feelings, sexual desire, and
longing for the ex-partner, and lower personal
growth. Additionally, she found that those who remained
Facebook friends with the ex-partner reported
fewer negative feelings, less sexual desire, and less longing for
the former partner, but lower personal
growth (Marshall, 2012).
Social media sites have also provided new opportunities for
students to harass others via technology.
Research has shown that about a quarter of college students
report being cyber-bullied at some point in
their lives, and about 30% of those students said they were
bullied for the first time in college (Held, 2011).
According to researchers, many of these cyber bullies hide
behind anonymity online, adopting different
personas for their bullying than for other online activities
(Held, 2011). College administrators have applied
student codes of conduct to harassing behavior on social media
sites.
Impact on Academics and Multitasking

15. Even in academic settings or in settings where studying is
taking place, students also divide their attention
among various media sources. One study found that two-thirds
of first-year college students reported using
electronic media while in class, studying, or doing homework
(Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). Another study
found that college students frequently searched for content not
related to courses, used Facebook, corre-
sponded by e-mail, talked on their cell phones, and texted while
doing schoolwork (Junco & Cotten, 2012).
Wood et al. (2012) found that students who used Facebook
during a lecture scored significantly lower on
tests on lecture material than those who were only allowed to
manually take notes. This lack of focus by
college students showed a negative impact on academic grades
(Jacobsen & Forste, 2011; Junco & Cotten,
2012; Wood et al., 2012).
As previously stated, it is more important to examine the actual
use of the social media site to deter-
mine its impact than merely just the time on the site. For
instance, Junco (2011a) showed that how Facebook
is used is a better predictor of academic outcomes than how
much time is spent on the site. Specifically,
Junco (2011a) differentiated between using Facebook for merely
checking up on others, as compared to
actively interacting with others and engaging in real-world
campus activities.
Student Engagement
Several researchers have analyzed uses of Facebook and Twitter
using the Astin’s construct of engagement,
and they have found that there are both positive and negative
outcomes from using these social media tools

16. (Junco, 2011a; Junco, Heiberger, & Loken, 2010; Heiberger &
Harper, 2008). Junco (2011a) found a mixed
set of predictors: Students use Facebook in ways that are both
positively and negatively related to their en-
gagement, study habits, and on-campus involvement, depending
on the specific activity. Other researchers
have found a positive relationship between Facebook and
engagement (Heiberger & Harper, 2008; HERI,
2007).
Other research pointed to positive relationships between social
networking site usage and college
student engagement (Heiberger & Harper, 2008; Junco, 2011b).
Additionally, Valenzuela, Park, and Kee
(2009) found that civic participation, life satisfaction, and
social trust were related to the intensity of col-
lege students’ Facebook use. Finally, LaRiviere, Snider,
Stromberg, and O’Meara (2012) evaluated the role
of social media in campus protests, and they found that while
social media acts as an accelerant for student
protests and makes weak ties stronger, social media “may
further disconnect students from understanding
the change they seek and the best strategies to pursue” (p. 15).
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Conclusion and Recommendations
There is no simple conclusion to draw from the research about
social networking sites and their impact on
college students, other than the sites are certainly are a part of

17. today’s students’ lives. One must remember
that technology is merely a tool for concepts that have been
around for decades—communication and con-
nections. How college students use these sites makes all of the
difference; some researchers have found
positive impacts of various activities, while others have found
the exact opposite. It is a slightly murky field
of understanding for student affairs professionals from which to
draw conclusions. Nevertheless, social
media sites are evolving in use, purpose, and even existence;
and a basic grasp of the options and what is
happening with our students is truly important. The list of
activities on Facebook presented in this article
represent what is current in 2012; the list will certainly change
as various applications and preferences
evolve based on interests and opportunities.
Here are some recommendations for student affairs
professionals:
• Make a decision on how much social media will play a part in
your personal and professional life. If
you wish to keep your Facebook profile private and not allow
students to be added as friends, that is
perfectly fine. However, your department might wish to have a
Facebook presence through a fan page
or group, as appropriate.
• Take the time to learn the basics of Twitter. There is much
opportunity for professional and academic
interaction in this tool that allows you to keep your personal
life separate.
• Enhance student engagement through the use of a common
hashtag on Twitter, encouraging partici-
pants to participate virtually. Many modern major events have a

18. unique Twitter hashtag as part of the
added dimension of a “backchannel,” representing individuals
of a networked audience who are con-
nected in real time who are learning with each other, and
anyone can join (Bingham & Conner, 2010).
Knowing that most college students own and use a smartphone
regularly, adding a Twitter component
to major events such as graduation adds an additional dimension
of participation, focus, innovation,
contributions, connections, and evaluation (Bingham & Conner,
2010).
• Understand the usage of social media and other forms of
technology at your campus. There may be
survey statistics, but more importantly, you can simply ask
students to show you what they use and
how.
• Consider how your resources are offered to those who might
seek them out first on the Internet. Do
you have enough information for students available? Is it easy
to find? Further, is your website mobile
friendly? Further, would there be value in providing Internet-
based services for those who wish to
connect but cannot visit or call? Those barriers may stop
assisting a student who might be seeking
help or information but cannot find it easily.
• Educate your students about their privacy, safety, and general
best practices about using social media.
The information is constantly changing, and this is something
that affects not only your students, but
also your faculty and staff.

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• Finally, Henry (2012) recommended that student development
theories be revised to account for the
influence of technology and social media. In addition to other
research opportunities related to social
media and technology use to help us better understand their
impacts on college students, reconsider-
ing student development theory in light of today’s society could
be a new approach to student affairs.
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