International Students’ Social Media Use: An Integrative Review of Research Over a Decade

Abstract

As advancements in technology rapidly progress and the enrollment of international students continues to increase concurrently, understanding the impact of social media on their experiences has become an area of significant academic interest in the recent decade. This integrative review employs a hybrid review approach, integrating bibliometric analysis with structured review, to provide a comprehensive overview and systematic synthesis of the literature on social media use among international students. One hundred twenty-one studies retrieved from the Web of Science database were analyzed to delineate the evolution of the field and identify the influential journals. The paper further proposes an integrative framework that thematically summarizes the phenomenon, aiming to highlight the potent components in students’ transitions. This review offers insights into the evolving landscape of social media use among international students, identifying potential directions for future study and policymaking.