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iConference 2020: Sustainable Digital Communities pp 130–150Cite as

Perceived Use and Effects of Social Media for 1 to 2.5 Generation Immigrant College Students with Depression: Results from a Mixed Methods Survey

Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNISA,volume 12051)

Abstract

As social media becomes more prevalent, understanding its use and its relationship with mental health is crucial, especially among marginalized populations. Immigrant college students in the United States face unique challenges that put them at an increased risk of experiencing depression. Due to barriers surrounding mental health disclosure and treatment, immigrant students may turn to social media for support. In this paper, we present the results of a mixed methods survey conducted on the perceived use and effects of social media among 83 immigrant undergraduates (from generation 1 to 2.5) with depression. Most participants perceived social media as having no effect on depression. However, others perceived social media as improving depression more than worsening it. Overall, participants feel belonging and supported but report some feelings of isolation, loneliness, and comparison when engaging with social media. Many report using social media as a distraction technique by engaging with uplifting content, which is viewed as having a positive impact on depression symptoms. For immigrant college students, it is important to feel connected and supported on social media when experiencing mental health issues while avoiding comparison and navigating the disclosure of sensitive information. While social media has an opportunity to be a promising space for immigrant college students with depression and provide access to culturally relevant resources, there are a number of challenges that need addressed.

Keywords

  • Social media
  • Immigrant
  • College student
  • Mental health
  • Depression
  • Marginalized populations

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For a description, see Table 1.

  2. 2.

    It is important to note that although increasing access to more culturally competent resources and information about social media will benefit immigrant college students, social media platforms are not a replacement for clinical treatment.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3) Director Dr. Kayla Booth, our research advisor and i3 Assistant Director Dr. Elizabeth Eikey. This work was supported by the National Center for Research Resources, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and the NIH (UL1 TR001414). It is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA

    Christopher C. Frye & Linda Sun

  2. The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Linh G. Ly

  3. The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3), University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Julissa Murrieta

  4. The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3), College of Westchester, White Plains, NY, 10606, USA

    Courtney S. Cochancela

  5. The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3), University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92697, USA

    Elizabeth V. Eikey

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  1. Christopher C. Frye
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Correspondence to Christopher C. Frye .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Anneli Sundqvist

  2. OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Gerd Berget

  3. University of Boras, Boras, Sweden

    Prof. Dr. Jan Nolin

  4. OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Kjell Ivar Skjerdingstad

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Frye, C.C., Ly, L.G., Murrieta, J., Sun, L., Cochancela, C.S., Eikey, E.V. (2020). Perceived Use and Effects of Social Media for 1 to 2.5 Generation Immigrant College Students with Depression: Results from a Mixed Methods Survey. In: Sundqvist, A., Berget, G., Nolin, J., Skjerdingstad, K. (eds) Sustainable Digital Communities. iConference 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12051. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43687-2_11

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