SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

Research Report

Submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirement of Bachelors of Journalism

and Mass Communication BJ(MC)

Submitted By:

Aditi Jain
Enrolment No. 00214202415

Department of Communication Studies

Jagannath International Management School

Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070

To

GURU GOBIND SINGH INDRAPRASTHA UNIVERSITY

SECTOR 16-C, DWARKA, NEW DELHI-110078

1
 Acknowledgement

I am highly indebted to Dr. Ravi K Dhar for his invaluable guidance and constant

encouragement. He has always guided me to strive for the best and helped me

where ever we got stuck in our project.

I would also like to thank my parents, my friends and all my teachers for constant

support, guidance and help.

Thanking You

Aditi Jain

2
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project entitled, SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE IN COLLEGE

STUDENTS has been done by ADITI JAIN of Bachelors of Journalism and Mass

Communication during 5th semester from Jagannath InternationalManagement

School, Vasant Kunj under the guidance of Dr. Ravi Kumar Dhar.

Dr. Ravi Kumar Dhar

(Project Advisor)

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 INDEX

Acknowledgement 02

Certificate 03

1: Introduction 5-10

2: Review of Literature 11-15

3: Research Designs and Methods 16

4: Results and Discussions 17-26

5: Conclusion 27-30

Bibliography 31

Appendix 32-35

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 CHAPTER-1

Introduction

It is a known fact that almost 100% college going students have and use cell
phones. Just like any other age group using cell phones, the college students
find it hard to part with their gadget and consider their phones an essential
element of survival. A generous amount of college students pay a hefty
amount per month just to use the internet for social networking and
connecting with people via social media rather that making calls.

The Internet is evolving at a rapid pace. It is not just a random statement but
according to various studies, it shows that from 1995 to 2014, 30 million
internet users have grown. Users are relying on social media now more than
ever. Since the creation of social media networks, the Internet has become
the most popular tool for teens and young adults. Social media usage is
particularly high among young adults and college students because students
embrace new media.

Most students use social media to create a personal profile, post what they
are doing throughout their day, upload pictures, and send messages to their
friends and family. Social media are also used to develop a professional
network to establish and strengthen relationships in the business world.
Social networking sites have become the latest online communication tool
that allows users to create a network with a public or private profile and
interact with people in that network. Social media sites fulfill many wants
and needs via virtual communication. It is a What social media sites do
college students use most.

5
Social networking sites

Facebook

The most popular social networking sites to date are Facebook followed by
Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook allows users to set up a profile and post
updates, links, photos, conversations, and the like. It was reported that
88.5% recognized Facebook as their preferred social media site reported that
students spend roughly 100 minutes per day on Facebook. In 2007, 92% of
college students reported that they had a Facebook account. By 2008, 99% of
students had an account on Facebook. It was found that university students
are often obsessed with their Facebook and Twitter profile. A study by
Pempek,Yermolayeva, and Calvert (2009) showed that students spend an
average of 28 minutes a day on Facebook.

Many individuals use social network sites to feel popular, trying to add as
many friends as possible so they appear to be more admired. Young adults
reported an average of 358 Facebook

Twitter

Twitter allows users to send out short messages or tweets about what they
are doing or links to resources of interest. People can choose to follow
selected users tweets and they can retweet or repost someones tweet for
others to see. It is an online version of text-messaging with the capability of
sending the same message to several thousand people all at once.

Linkedin

Linkedin is targeted at professionals interested in professional networking.

Each user sets up a profile similar to a resume and then can link to other
people that they know. Having been created in 2003, LinkedIn is one of the
oldest social networks. However, this particular site is relatively new to

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younger generations. Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are being joined by a
complete new line of competitors in the social media business. The social
network platforms Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube have
become the new gateway for the expression for todays college generation.

Snapchat

Snapchat is an application for iPhones, iPads and Android devices. It allows

subscribers to send to other subscribers photos that expire in one to ten
seconds. The latest update has an infinite time to photos. There are an
estimated 100 million daily active users of Snapchat, about 70% of whom are
women.

It was found that more than 77% of college students use Snapchat at least
once per day. The most popular Snapchat use was for creativity (73%)
followed by keeping in touch (27%). About one-fourth of the college student
respondents (23%) reported that Snapchat is easier to use than texting.

Instagram

Instagram is an application that allows users to take pictures and videos and
share them on a variety of social networking platforms. It is owned by
Facebook.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a personalized media platform which allows registered users to

pin and organize media content into collections called pinboards. Users can
also browse the content of others in their feed.

YouTube

YouTube is a video sharing website. It is owned by Google. Unregistered

users can watch videos and registered users can upload videos.

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Earlier, the phones were used to make calls or send text messages in the
times of need. As people say, the revolution in the terms of technology has
led to this shift from websites to applications, phone calls to video calls, and
utilizing time to just wasting it. Not just the students waste their time using
their phones at home, while commuting but also in classrooms. It is
estimated that about 80% of students text while being in the classrooms and
numbers dont lie.

The new concept of memes on social media has unfurled the concept of
dark humour and making fun of anything and everything that is possible.
Furthermore, smartphone social media apps give the user the ability to check
their social media sites anywhere, anytime instead of having to sit in front of
their computer screen, which has given the people, most precisely students
the gift of convenience. In fact, the students dont use social media for
enhancing their skills but they use it to scroll through pages which provide
them entertainment. Mostly seen in teenagers, is a trend which is shamming
people on the basis of their race, sex, or/and religion. Most debates held on
public platforms in form of comments lead to a nasty end.

There is no scope of keeping ones personal life personal anymore. There is

continuous location tagging, check ins, real time status, and live videos.
These features are rather enticing but actually it is very dangerous and
harmful if used injudiciously. Since the time social networking has made a
special place in our lives, it has been a topic of continuous debates and
discussions. Millennials vouch on the fact that it is barely a form of
distraction rather it is a source of entertainment and knowledge. They tend
to forget that they are trapped in the promising world of social media. They
play with their safety and are a bait to distractions.

Privacy is implicated in users ability to control impressions and manage

social contexts. The news feed feature on Facebook disrupts the students
sense of control, even though data exposed through the feed were easily

8
accessible. The social networking sites are also challenging the legal
conceptions of privacy.

Scholars from disparate fields have examined social networking sites in order
to understand the practices, implications, culture, and meaning of the sites,
as well as users engagements with them. This social theme section of the
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together a unique
collection of articles in this issue, our goal is to showcase some of the
interdisciplinary scholarship around these sites.

While the flip side of using social media too much is the varied uses of the
same. While the things have started becoming digital over the recent times,
social media and networking has extended a warm hand to progress. Almost
all the experts of various fields have started using internet as their main
platform for business. Now, we can promote, advertise, market, sell anything
online with a huge audience to witness.

People become influencers in their fields and earn huge amount of money. It
is easy and the set up cost is dirt cheap. The business flourishes in no time.
All you need is the perfect strategy to work things out. Not only social media
provides global access but also convenience of attaining the global
networking by just being at one place. Todays generation is all about easy
money and convenience, and social media promises them of all that they
need.

With all these benefits, the option of not using social media is negated and
thus, the impact of social media over the youth can clearly be justified.

The purpose of this introduction is to provide a conceptual, historical, and

scholarly context for the articles in this collection. We begin by defining what
constitutes a social network site and then present one perspective on the
historical development of the social networking, drawing from personal
interviews and public amounts of sites and their changes over time.

9
Social media are increasing student engagement outside of the classroom
and they are creating new and innovative ways to learn. Student engagement
represents the time and effort students invest in their education. It was
clearly pointed out by experts that adolescent and young adults are the
heaviest users of computers and the Internet. The average college student
spends eight hours a day online. However, college students have concerns
about their Internet usage and balancing social life, extracurricular activities,
and even part time jobs. In particular, 70% reported that they stay online
longer than they intend. This suggests that the ubiquity of and ease of access
to the Internet are not without a potential downside.

Objectives

The main objective of this research is to find out the social media trends
amongst college students. Furthermore,

1. What do the college students feel about the usage of social

networking.

2. Is social networking beneficial or not?

10
 CHAPTER-2

Review of Literature

According to a study Journal of Undergraduate Ethnic Minority Psychology,

the College students depend on the Internet generally and social media sites
with an aim to connect with others. This study seeks to determine what
social media sites college students use most. Students completed a survey
which assessed personal use of social media. Surveys were distributed face-
to-face and online.

Overall, applications like Instagram was the most used social networking site
followed by Snapchat and Facebook. The least used social networking sites
were LinkedIn and Pinterest. It was found that nearly 76% of students use
social networking sites 1-10 hours each day and a slightly larger proportion
that is 80% of students are indicated to use the sites more on the weekend.

Students find the sites interesting because of the features that enable them
to post pictures and videos. It is very unlikely for the students to build a
professional bond and network with the use of social media. Social media
sites are increasingly tailored to meet the needs of specific target markets.
Understanding this evolutionary pattern is the key that unlocks which social
media platforms college students will continue to use most.

Social networks are both pervasive and powerful. They are an effective
means of connection, one that college students use extensively. What seems
to be happening to social media sites is what has happened to every form of
media that has preceded specialization.

11
Social media sites are increasingly tailored to meet the needs of specific
target markets. This evolutionary pattern suggests the future of social media
sites. Understanding the pattern is the key that unlocks which social media
platforms college students will continue to use most.

In a study by Whitmore School of business and economics, the study was

undertaken to determine how much time students actively use social media
and if there has been an increase or decrease in usage over time.

The research shows that there is no correlation between the amount of time
students spend using social media and their grades. Grades followed similar
distributions for all colleges, with the majority of students earning A's and
B's. The study showed that more students use Facebook and YouTube than
any other social media platform. Professional networking sites like Blogs,
Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn had significantly lower amounts of student
users. Students from the business school had the highest percentage of users
of blogs, Twitter, and LinkedIn while liberal arts students were the highest
percentage of MySpace users.

Percentage of students who use each platform

Facebook 96%

YouTube 84%

Blogs 20%

Twitter 14%

MySpace 12%

LinkedIn 10%

The study found no correlation between heavy social media usage and
grades. There was no significant difference in grades between those

12
considered to be heavy users of social media and those considered being
light users.

College students today are more detached from their peers than ever before.
Research shows they're less likely to have tangible relationships; enter
college having spent less time socializing as teens; are more likely to be
heavily medicated; and feel a greater pressure to be academically and
socially successful than in the past.

Paired with the increasing dependence on social media, these factors leave
students susceptible to mental health complications, some experts say.
Meanwhile, the college community is using technology to reach students
who need help.

The use of social media and internet has led the youth towards anxiety and
depression. The cases of mental health disorder across college campuses
have increased manifold. Approximately one in six students has been
diagnosed or treated for anxiety. As emotional health takes a turn for the
worse, Sydney believes, students spend more time on social media.

Smartphones and the applications (Apps) that can be downloaded to

smartphones are inventions that keep individuals connected to society,
especially college students. This paper discusses the relationships between

13
smartphone usage and the effects smartphones have on students social
lives, education lives, and physical activity. Furthermore, it explores student
preferences on their most and the least useful smartphone apps.

The number of college students using their cellphones during class has
increased over the last few years. 80% of students admit to texting at least
once in class. Furthermore, smartphone social media apps give the user the
ability to check their social media sites anywhere, anytime instead of having
to sit in front of their computer screen. Cellphones are used while waiting in
line at the coffee shop, searching various topics on Google, keeping track of
homework assignments and staying connected to friends from school and
friends at home. The increasing use of smartphones and apps affects
students.

Cellphone apps have added new features to entice the mobile users as well,
like location tagging and status updates. Many students will put exactly
where they have been or where theyre going on social media and then tag
their friends. Although this is scary and not practicing safety, features like
these on apps are being used continually by many college students to show
their social media friends exactly where theyre going. Additionally, app
usage of games is also widely accessed among the smartphone community.

Social networks connect people at low cost, this can be beneficial for
entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to expand their content base.
These networks often act as a customer relationship management tool for
companies selling products and services. Companies can also use networks
for advertising in the form of banners and text ads. Since businesses operate
globally, social networks can make it easier to keep in touch with the
contacts from all over the world.

It is not easy to be a young adult in the current times. The level of anxiety
and stress to beat is uncanny. Many youngsters and young adults find social

14
media as an escape from the original world. Also, socially connecting and
networking is a lot easier than actually doing it.

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 CHAPTER-3

Research Designs and Methods

Every Project should incorporate and entail all the aspects about the
company. The total information is collected through primary sources of data.
Keeping in mind the above said assumptions as well as the better
comprehension of the topics it becomes mandatory to have an access to all
the sources.

In Primary research we would be using Questionnaire as our tool for data

collection. We would be using the structured questionnaire forum as our
tool. We structured 10 questions to be asked by our college students of all
the courses. The total respondents that we targeted was 100 students and
the scope of study was limited to the students of JIMS, Vasant Kunj and other
colleges.

In secondary research, we would be using content and studies available on

the internet. Reference material from the library. With the help of secondary
research we would be able to understand the topic better and reach to the
conclusion in a more precise way.

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 CHAPTER-4
Results and Discussions

Usage of Social networking/media sites.

Social media users

Yes
No

When asked to the target audience, the chart clearly shows that 98.1% of the
people use social networking/media sites and 1.9% people do not use any kind of
social networking sites.

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 Different Age Groups using social media.

Age Groups using social media

45.00%

40.00%

35.00%

30.00%

25.00%

20.00% Age Groups using social media

15.00%

10.00%

5.00%

0.00%
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25

According to our research students of age group 20 uses social media more often
than any other.

AGE GROUP Students using media (in %)

16 1.9

17 3.8

18 1.9

19 11.5

20 40.4

21 19.2

22 5.8

23 1.9

25 1.9

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 Purpose of using Social Media.

Social Media Usage

Communication
Entertainment
Information
Education
To share views

When asked about the purpose of using internet, 46.2% students claimed that they
use the platform for communication purposes whereas, 26.9%% people say that
they use internet and social media sites for entertainment purposes. A percentage
of 19.2% people use the internet for information while only 3.8% people use it for
education and same for sharing views.

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 Time spent on the internet.

Time Spent on Internet

1-2 hours
2-4 hours
4-8 hours
8-12 hours

When asked about the total time spent by people on the internet, the students
candidly shared their respective amount of time. Out of 100, 19.2% of people
spend 1-2hours on the internet while 46.20% of students spend 2-4hours.
28.8%people spend more than 4 hours and the remaining 5.8% people spend 8-12
hours.

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 Social Media is appropriate to use or not.

Social Media appropriate to use

Yes
No

While the students are on internet doing various things, the question is social
media appropriate to use. While questioned about the same we got to know that
100% of students responded yes.

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 Most used networking site.

Mostly Used Website

Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Snapchat
Whatsapp
Hangouts

In this trendy times where social media is a means of survival, the most popular
social networking sites among the college students are Facebook, Intagram,
Whatsapp, etc. and people use Whatsapp the most i.e., 55.80%. 9.60% use
facebook, 13.50% use instagram, 15.40% use YouTube, 3.80% use Snapchat and
1.90% use Hangouts.

22
 Device to operate Social Media Websites.

Device to use Websites

Mobile
Laptop

When we asked students about which device they use for operating social media,
we got to know that 98.1% of students use mobiles and the remaining use Laptops.

23
 Security of sharing personal data on social media websites.

Secure Data

Yes
No

According to the research, 61.5% students think that sharing of personal data on
social media is not secure whether 38.5% voted for secure data sharing. So, we can
see that after many cyber acts, people still donot feel safe on these social media
websites.

24
 Rate of information level on social media.

Information Level
0.25

0.2

0.15

Information Level
0.1

0.05

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

In the questionnaire, we asked people to rate the information level available on

these social media websites and here are the results we got.

1.90% voted for 3

15.40% voted for 5
13.50% voted for 6
21.20% voted for 7
23.10% voted for 8
11.50% voted for 9
13.50% voted for 10

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 Experience of any wrong activity on social media handle.

Wrong Activity on Media

Yes
No

In this growing and competitive world where people use social media as a part of
relaxing their minds or we can say, a break to their hectic life, there are still some
people who suffered wrong activities on their social media handle. According to the
research we have done, out of 100%, 34.60% students suffered abrupt activity and
65.40% didnt.

26
 CHAPTER-5
Conclusion
In summary, with the research gathered, the idea of using social media in
classrooms has long since been disputed. In fact, some schools (mainly
primary and secondary schools) dont even allow the use of smartphones in
classrooms. Some do, but they do not have any provisions in their curriculum
for their usage.

The use of social media in classrooms isnt exactly a bad thing for student
development if, and only if its done in the right way. Yes, they do come with
a whole lot of cons against them but, at the same time, they also have a fair
share of pros in their favor.

disadvantages to increased cellphone usage include hindering classroom

performance because college students are consistently on their smartphones
and the usage keeps increasing. The increased usage could possibly cause
students to develop more problems on their education journey thus resulting
in dropping out of college and reducing the number of college graduates.

Another disadvantage to increased smartphone use is that it is causing

students to experience anxiety because they have the constant need to have
their phone on them at all times. Also, it leads to dangerous medical
conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, etc. The need to prove
that we are better than others inculcate over competitiveness in students.
The need to get most likes and comments on pictures distract the students
and they check their phones to see the update.

Finally, further disadvantages to a student using their phone in class include

that it is both a distraction and annoyance to the other students and teacher
because it shows lack of paying attention. This study found several
advantages to increased cellphone usage which includes phones being used

27
as teaching and learning tools to benefit the students by being able to
teaching to the different learning styles.

Students are able to simply pull out their smartphone and open an app to
study their notes for classes. Further added benefits to increased
smartphone use for educational purposes arenot wasting paper and the
ability to keep information for a longer period of time and access it at
anytime and anywhere.

It has also been inferred that students have determined that the majority of
college students use their apps for academic purposes. The researcher
suggests that college students should continue using their smartphone to
study if it helps them to get better grades because getting better grades
would cause students to have a more positive outlook on life and ultimately
continue to achieve their academic goals. It is very apparent that iGeners are
very technologically savvy; however, the overall state of literature provides
evidence that students use their cellphones with high frequency and this
could cause problems in education.

Further research needs to be conducted to determine if problems in

education could arise due to increased smartphone use. However, in my
observation and small discussion with iGeners, I have concluded that iGeners
are so busy that they do not have time to participate in surveys to gather the
actual research that needs to be conducted on this topic to eliminate the
gaps in the research.

Finally, in light of the research conducted, the researcher has a very

important warning to express that people should be aware when using
technology such as email/texting/messaging and social media.

When sending e-mails, message, or posting to social media, watch your typed
words or remember to use netiquette when using digital technology. The
researcher has sent several emails/messages and regretted the instant the
send button was clicked.

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Therefore, a suggestion is to write the e-mail, save it as a draft, and then re-
read the e-mail sometime later to ensure the typed words bring clarity and
not damage to the recipient. In regards to social media posts, the researcher
suggests the following: think before you post, imagine the recipient is sitting
next to you, remember when you are online you are in a spotlight of visibility
and everyone can read what you post, ask yourself if you really have the right
to address to subject being discussed, ask yourself if you have a close enough
relationship with the person that they will understand your opinion, and
when you do you post/write let your written words be filled with grace or
positive thoughts, so that you make the most out of every opportunity of
interaction with others.

Social networks are both pervasive and powerful. They are an effective
means of connection, one that college students use extensively. What seems
to be happening to social media sites is what has happened to every form of
media that has preceded specialization. Social media sites are increasingly
tailored to meet the needs of specific target markets. This evolutionary
pattern suggests the future of social media sites. Understanding the pattern
is the key that unlocks which social media platforms college students will
continue to use most.

It has been heavily and extensively argued that social media is making
introvert when it comes to communicating in person. More than 50% of the
respondents said that they prefer online communication over face to face
communication. There is no doubt in the fact that increased communication
over social networking platforms is making people more anti-social in their
real life. This will also have an adverse impact on the confidence level of the
people, their attitude, personality and behavior as well.

To summarize the findings, it is clear that 100% of the targeted people use
social networking/media sites. The analysis shows that the college going
students use internet the most for educational purposes, however, they use
it the least to professionally network with people. The trend showed that

29
most of the people use social networking sites for 2-4 hours which is a pretty
decent amount of time.

Proving the notion made in the review of literature, the analysis clearly
shows that the people use Facebook and Instagram the most. While portals
like Linkdn, the least.

Even though people fondly use the social networking sites, surprisingly
enough 80% of them believe that the use of social media cannot fill the space
of personal interactions and they also feel that social media hampers their
personal relations.

30
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.juempsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Knight-McCord_et-

al_JUEMP_2016.pdf

http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/docs/UNHsocialmedia.pdf

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/social-media-college-mental-

health_us_55ae6649e4b08f57d5d28845

http://proc.iscap.info/2015/pdf/3424.pdf

https://www.business2community.com/social-media/5- aspects-social- media-thankful-

0698147#fgXeVlUoG4LMXQvm.97

https://www.nbforum.com/nbreport/social-media- communication-rapid- growth-social-

platforms/

https://econsultancy.com/blog/3527-what- is-social- media-here- are-34- definitions

http://studybreakscollegemedia.com/2014/social-media- statistics-how- college-

students-are- using-social- networking/

http://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1243&context=etd

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2010.0410

https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/

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 Appendix

SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE

Social Media Trends Among College Students

CONFIDENTIALITY CLAUSE

This questionnaire seeks to know the social media trends among college
going students. This information given here will remain confidential and will
be used only for the purposes of academic research.

So, respondents are requested to share information freely and truly. Your
candid replies will help the researcher arrive at valid results.

SECTION A- Demographic study

E-mail Address:

Name:

Age:

Contact No:

Gender:

32
 SECTION B- Social media Trends among college going students

Q1. Do you use any social networking/media sites?

Yes

No

Q2. Are you a social media addict?

Yes

No

Q3. Which media platform do you use more often?

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Whatsapp

Snapchat

Google+

YouTube

Hike

Other..

33
Q4. For what purpose do you use social media?

Communication

Entertainment

Information

Education

To share views

Other..

Q5. Do you really think that these websites are appropriate to use?

Yes

No

Q6. Which device do you mostly use for operation these websites?

Mobile

Laptop

Other..

34
Q7. Do you think that sharing your personal data on these websites is secure?

Yes

No

Q8. How much time do you spend on using social media every day?

1-2 hours

2-4 hours

4-8 hours

8-12 hours

Q9. Rate the information level available on these websites?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Q10. Did you experience any wrong activity in your social media handle?

Yes

No

35
36