Moving with the media: An exploration of how migrant communities in New Zealand use social media

Abstract

This paper explores why and how migrants use social media in different phases of the migration process, how they manage personal information on social media during migration, and whether they use libraries’ social media in any of the migration phases. An anonymous questionnaire was used to collect opinions and investigate the activities of migrant communities in New Zealand in the three above mentioned areas. The paper presents the results of a descriptive statistical analysis performed on the data. These results were categorized and presented under the following themes: demographic data, use of social media during migration, personal information management practices on social media, use of library social media during migration, issues arising from the use of social media during migration and positive impact of social media during migration. The main findings of our research showed that in the transitioning phase migrants use social media mostly for making the decision to move. In the settling phase, social media help them to cushion the anxieties associated with a move and also help them to make an informed decision in the new country. In the settled phase, participants used social media to stay connected with family and friends in the home country. Language barriers can restrict the use of social media during the moving process. Personal information on social media is not recognized as important and is not managed in any particular way. Libraries are present in the life of migrants but more as physical spaces and services than through their social media presence. Findings from this study can be of interest to libraries and other information providers developing services for migrants in physical and digital environments.