Abstract
The move to university can be difficult for students- a transition often characterised by a risk of loneliness and poor mental health. Previous work highlights the important role social media can play in this transition. We report findings from a large-scale survey of 510 first year undergraduates across the UK, identifying factors that predict student loneliness, and exploring their social media use. Higher levels of social capital, induction satisfaction, and sense of community are significantly associated with lower levels of loneliness. Conversely, those reporting a more ‘liminal self’- the desire to edit and reinvent yourself online - experience greater loneliness- with an indirect relationship between online social information seeking and loneliness, through social capital. We surmise that being ‘true to yourself’ online is important when starting university, and that social media can be a useful tool in facilitating offline relationships and maintaining ties to old friends.
Highlights
IntroductionTransition has been defined as ‘the capability to navigate change’ (Gale & Parker, 2014), recognising that transition as both the process of change over time and the resources required to engage with that change
The most preferred social media site as well as the most widely used, was Facebook. This information was used to form the basis of subsequent questions in our survey-if participants had stated they preferred to use X platform, they were asked to think of that platform when answering the social media intensity items
We investigated the extent to which social capital (Maintained Social Capital, Bridging and Bonding), university factors (Sense of Community and Satisfaction with Induction) and social media use (Social Media Intensity, Bounded Self, Liminal Self, Off-to-Online and Online-to-Offline Friendships) predicted loneliness as reported by students
Summary
Transition has been defined as ‘the capability to navigate change’ (Gale & Parker, 2014), recognising that transition as both the process of change over time and the resources required to engage with that change. One instance in early adulthood whereby transition might first be experienced is beginning university. The ways in which students experience this transition will vary, it has been suggested that the change from a familiar environment into an unfamiliar one represents a period of disequilibrium (Jackson, 2003). Much research on university transition has been focused on the first year (Chow & Healey, 2008; Ferguson et al, 2016; Pokorny, Holley, & Kane, 2017; Stirling, 2016; Thomas, Briggs, Hart, & Kerrigan, 2017). The scale of change is greatest and spans many aspects of the individual’s life
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