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The influence of social media in shaping the
socio-psychological values
Among college-going students
-A.IRUDAYA RAJ
1.Introduction
Two of my personal encounters with the young students using
social media not only surprised me a lot but also put me in a
serious reflection on how the digital technology has crept into
the lives of modern youth. Once I was travelling from Trichy to
Tanjore by bus. It was a little more than an hour of journey. An
attractive young boy sitting beside me was all the time busy with
texting messages and posting comments in his Facebook page. He
had a tablet in his hand. I was sitting close to him. He cannot
but notice my presence in the same seat that we both were
sharing. But to my surprise, he never noticed me. I observed a
mixture of different feelings on his face. Smiles, surprise,
anger, anxiety all were visible on his face. With some curiosity,
I asked him, “Where are you going?” There was no reply. After
sometime, “Are you doing your studies in Tanjore?” I asked him
again. He did not even care for my question and obviously he was
immersed in his tablet. I felt very uneasy with my seat close to
him till the bus reached the destination. What made this young
man distance himself unconsciously from his neighbor?
1
In another encounter, one of my university friends who is doing
his post-graduate degree course has told me that he finds real
joy in spending hours together in Facebook. Taken by surprise, I
just asked him, “What more joy you find in Facebook than a face-
to-face interaction with your classmates or friends?” He replied
quickly that Facebook is very interactive and it provides me a
great chance to build relationship with a variety of new friends
from different cultures. He also added that Facebook opens the
doors of personal space for self-expression and creating his own
content. So, apparently, just by keeping himself alive in
Facebook, he found a lot of fulfillment which he was not able to
get or experience in his real life situation. How did this young
man conclude that he could find more happiness in Facebook than
in other interactions?
These two encounters are just indicators of how the present day
youth is shifting their modes of interaction from face-to-face
communication to virtual conversation. This shift is made
possible by the massive growth of internet-based digital
technology. The concept of time and space is either shattered or
back-seated by the uninterrupted, continuous flow of virtual
communication. Virtual reality has come to rule our life. Before
the invention of internet-based digital technology, the actual
socialization process took place in the context of human beings
interacting directly with one another face-to-face.
2
More evidently, each one’s thinking pattern, mindset, value
system and worldview had a direct influence on others with whom
they interacted. Everyone knew, to a greater extent, the plus and
minus of each other. There was no room for anonymity of someone’s
physical appearance, colour, caste, name and qualification. But
on the contrary, in the age of interne-based communication, a new
form of virtual socialization is taking place. This is
technically termed as ‘online socialization’. This online
socialization has transcended time and space. It has cut across
the geographical boundaries of different countries and cultures.
It has freely allowed greater anonymity for the online users. In
other words, one could conveniently hide his or her personal
biographical details and make friendship with anyone living in
any part of the world. Social media facilitate this online
socialization to take place among the young students who are
frequently visiting social media.
With an unprecedented growth of internet facility and its
accessibility in any one of the electronic devices like laptop,
smart phone, iPod and tablet, social media-users are growing in
number day by day. According to Internet and Mobile Association
of India (IAMAIA) there were 190 million internet users in India
at the close of June 2013. This year by the end of June 2014, the
number has reached 243 million. Within a year, 28% of internet
users have increased. There are seven out of ten accessing
internet and social media in their smart phones.
3
In India, there are 71 million active Facebook users. It is
heartening to know that more than 60% of social media users are
youngsters and their age group ranges from 25-34. The primary
reason is that social media provide a free and safe platform for
the young boys and girls to make friendship, share information,
exchange photos, videos, to create discussion forums and to
facilitate conversation with the people of different cultures. In
other words, social media, to a greater extent, changed the way
we communicate and interact with one another (The Hindu, October,
29, 2012).
The fundamental reason for the youngsters to get attracted to
social networking sites is that it is where they could easily
find their old and new friends. Social media facilitate the
process of renewing their old friendship. These social networking
sites, apart from breaking the barriers of time and space,
facilitate easy communication and interaction with the friends
whom otherwise they rarely meet and chat in their lives. Whenever
they feel boredom, fatigued and lonely in their offline reality,
they switch over to social networking sites to interact with
friends. This interaction- a comment, feedback, message, posting
etc. - gives them a new fresh feeling that one is not alone but
in the live company of friends.
The youth culture is changing with the changing pattern of
technological development. The recent research has suggested that
the contemporary youth cultures are increasingly diverse and
4
fragmented and they are best seen not as a matter of self-
contained entities, but in a more fluid way, temporarily attached
to some lifestyles. It is important to note that how young people
categorize themselves or label themselves and others, how they
identify as members of particular groups, how a sense of group
belonging or “community” is developed and maintained and how
groups discriminate against outsiders. And ultimately it is
relevant to see how they define their identities in the process
of asserting their individualities. Identity, as such, is a
continent matter- it is something people accomplish particularly
our ongoing interactions and negotiations with other people
(David Buckingham, 2008).
Social media have opened the doors of freedom of expression in
terms of interpersonal relationship. The college-going students
have explored greater possibilities in social media to initiate
and develop interpersonal relationship with old friends of their
school days and new friends who are of the same age, same
academic ventures and in similar professions. It is not merely
developing interpersonal relationships for their emotional
satisfaction, but it goes beyond getting them connected online to
share information, exchange views, hold discussion, upload photos
and videos, and not the least of online activities like internet
banking and whole lot of other commercial activities.
5
These online activities have really empowered the college-
students in many respects. For example, the students who are
using social media actually create their own content and post
them in their Facebook page. This content creation in social
media really boosts their self-image. The reason is that they
were kept just as content-receivers for many years in the
traditional mass media like television, press and the cinema.
They also gain knowledge on their subjects, public issues, job
opportunities, sports and games, health, international events
etc. When the success stories of different individuals, experts
and the toppers etc. are shared in social media, the students get
motivated to achieve greater things in their personal lives.
Apart from these positive social aspects, studies have shown that
social media users are prone to some ill-effects on their social
life. For example, the element of anonymity in social media has a
de-individuating effect on the individuals involved producing a
behavior that is more self-centered and less socially regulated
than usual. The students who spend more time in social media are
not able to give attention to their friends and unable to spend
time with them in their daily life.
This research paper makes an attempt to study how the use of
social media shapes the socio-psychological values among college-
going students.
6
2. Review of Literature
The use of internet has crept into all aspects of human lives.
Social media which are part of internet or components have become
freely accessible, flexible and undoubtedly very interactive in
their form and content. This key element of interactivity found
in social media have attracted the youth in large number in the
last one decade or so. Many young people today are living within
the two distinct yet interconnected worlds of the real and
virtual. The real world consists of a life lived offline, (actual
reality) while the virtual world constitutes a life online
(computer mediated reality).
Social media networks include, “web-based services that allow
individuals to construct public and semi-public profile within a
bounded system, articulate a list of others users whom they share
a connection, and view and traverse their list of connection and
those made by others within their system” (J.P. Ahluwalia, 2012)
He emphasizes that social media essentially gather the like-
minded people on a single platform. “Social networking websites
are online communities of people who share interests and
activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and
activities of others. They typically provide a variety of ways
and for users to interact, through chat, messaging and email”
(J.P. Ahluwalia)
7
The line between these two worlds continues to blur on a daily
basis, and this haziness and distortion increases the uncertainty
people have of their place in the world(s) and their general
understanding of life. What prompts the young people to spend
more time with social media experimenting with their identities
through the ongoing interactions with other online users, calls
for a deeper analysis and research? This review of literature
traces the studies done on social identity in general and studies
done on online identity related topics during the past ten years.
According to Tom R Tyler. (2002), the internet provides people
with a technology that allows them to engage in activities that
they have already had ways to engage in but provides them with
some added efficiencies and opportunities to tailor their
interactions. The researches on this area do not minimize the
potential impact of the internet and social media. Rather, people
are proactive and adoptive with respect to new technologies. They
seek ways to use those technologies to more effectively manage
their personal and interpersonal concerns.
According to John A. Bargh and Katelyn Y.A. McKenna. (2004) the
internet has unique, even transformational qualities as a
communication channel, including relative anonymity and the
ability to easily link with others who have similar interests,
values and beliefs. Research has found that the relative
anonymity aspect encourages self-expression, and the relative
absence of physical and nonverbal interaction cues facilitates
8
the formation of relationships on the other, deeper bases such as
shared values and beliefs. At the same time, the features of
internet communication leave a lot of unexplained and unspecified
inference and interpretation.
Frederic Stutzman (2004) observed how the college-going students
shared identity information in social networking sites. Social
network communities facilitated the sharing of identity
information in a directed network. Compared with traditional
methods for identity information disclosure, such as a campus
directory, the social network community fostered a more
subjective and holistic disclosure of identity information.
The key findings suggested that undergraduates use SNC’s more
commonly than post-graduate students. Additionally, the
percentage of undergraduates utilizing the social networking
sites, like Facebook was significant. The level of identity
information disclosure requested by common SNC’s varied among
students. From an outsider’s perspective, some of the information
was very interesting such as relationship status, location
information etc. And political views were just a few of the many
identity information elements that were disclosed in SNC’s.
A large number of students shared particularly personal
information online. If we were to compare the trends we observed,
it strongly suggested that there was a disconnect between the
9
value of traditional identity information (Name, SSN) and the new
types identity information being disclosed (photo, political
views, sexual orientation) in SNC’s. This disconnect has
indicated the need for a new discussion of identity information
protection on campus, one that would be effectively holistic and
SNC-aware.
David Bukingham (2008) explained how adolescents form their
identity in the online situation. Through a process of self-
reflection and self-definition, adolescents arrived at an
integrated, coherent sense of their identity as something
persisted over time. Identity was developed by the individuals,
but it had to be recognized and confirmed by others. Adolescence
is thus also a period in which young people negotiated their
separation from their family and developed independent social
competence. Researchers have shown how people categorized or
labelled themselves and others, how they identified as members of
particular groups, how a sense of group belonging or community is
developed and maintained, and how groups discriminated against
outsiders, how boundaries between groups operated, and how groups
related to each other and how institutions defined and organized
identities.
He was categorical to narrate that in the internet age, identity
was seen as a fluid, ongoing process, something that is
permanently “under construction”. It is something “we do” rather
than simply “what we are”. For youth, the internet provided
10
significant opportunities for exploring facets of identity that
might previously have been denied or stigmatized or indeed simply
for sharing of information on such matters.
Carrie James (2009) described that identity formation was the
major task of adolescence, at least in modern societies. During
this period in their lives, individuals began to reconsider their
conceptions of themselves as they become increasingly aware of
the broader society, including its values, norms and
expectations.
Identity exploration and formation were facilitated by self-
expression, self-reflection and feedback from others. In actual
reality, the young people explore their identities in a variety
of ways. They might experiment with clothing and hairstyles,
adopt the attitudes of music and other subcultures, or become
involved in the extra-curricular activities that adopted a
talent, a passion, or an ideology. At the same time the new
media were providing adolescents with the new spaces for identity
exploration.
He also narrated that young people could elicit feedback on their
identity experiments from broader and diverse audiences than they
did it in offline. Although opportunities to adopt radically
different identities existed in many online spaces, researchers
began to find out that youth’s online expressions have a tendency
to reflect aspects of their offline selves. The real
developmental task of identity formation was increasingly
11
happening in virtual spaces. This would happen both by the task
of self-expression and the feedback they receive from others in
social media context.
Manuel Castells (2009) had coined the word ‘mass self-
communication’. This referred to a global system of networked
interaction- a system within which platforms like Facebook,
Linkedin, GooglePlus, and twitter offering crucial tools to
galvanize the performance of online identity. From the earliest
days of introducing social media, many platforms were presented
as tools for making connections, promoting human connectedness
and community building.
Andra Siibak (2009) made a study on how young people construct
their ‘self’ through selection of photographs in social
networking sites. It was found out that the young people often
join social media for social reasons. They felt compelled either
by their friends who have the profiles in social media or they
are interested in finding new friends and even possible
boyfriends and girlfriends. This study suggested that young
people are very conscious and strategic in their visual self-
presentation in social media and carefully select the photos to
accompany their respective profiles. The youth also had the clear
expectations of the aspects and qualities a person must have in
order to become popular among social media-users.
The study revealed that young people struggled to find ways to
leave a positive impression about themselves to as large audience
12
as possible. Favorable impressions however, could only be treated
when we managed to assume what the others were expecting from us.
When they selected their photos, they consciously or
unconsciously took the view point of adults and tried to form
favorable impressions of themselves.
Rob Cover (2012) looked at identity as a preformative action in
the online situation. It was an alternative approach to
understanding social networking and identity. It was mainly to
take into account some of the ways in which social networking
activities were performed. And, these activities actually
constituted the identity of the social media user. According to
Rob Cover, this came from the fact that online social networking
was not a singular activity but a set of inter-related- sometimes
incompatible- interactivities taking place in online situation.
These identity performances were done through profile management,
friending, becoming a fan, tagging, being tagged, updating
statuses, and having responses given by others to one’s own
status updates. That was an array of activities that require
users to work to perform a coherent, intelligible selfhood
extending across all these online activities in addition to
offline behaviours.
According to Nathaniel Swigger (2012) if social media leads to
change inbasic American values, then it may also have an impact
on their foundational beliefs such as community and social
identity. Social media relationships can be used to maintain pre-
13
existing real world relationship, but as the time moves on those
relationships may alter the way an individual responds to
community and social life.
Theoretical Background
Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) theory is best applied to
understand the function of social networking sites. This theory
is defined as the exchange of semantic content of online
messages, which can be synchronous (simultaneous) or asynchronous
(not simultaneous) (Walther, 1992, in Byrne, 1994), from computer
to computer by people as senders and receivers.
Computer mediated communication (CMC) can be distinctly
classified as synchronous or asynchronous (Dix, Finlay, Abowd,
Beale, 1993 in Riva and Galimberti, 1997; Byrne, 1994). CMC is
synchronous when it allows a real-time link between the
interacting persons. This type of CMC can include internet relay
chat, video-conferencing, chat messaging systems, internet
phones, and some SNS. It is made possible with features of
multimedia techniques, hyper textuality, and packet switching
etc. in the online situation (Newhagen, 1996, in Riva and
Galimberti, 1997). In other words, synchronous CMC enables the
online users to have immediate communication as if having a face-
to-face interaction. (Byrne, 1994). In contrast, asynchronous CMC
does not require real-time connection between the users’
computer, e.g., electronic mail, online forums, blogs, and some
SNS. Facebook is a SNS that can be considered as both synchronous
14
and asynchronous. The user can log-in to the chat feature for
synchronous CMC, and the rest are generally considered to be
asynchronous.
3. Research QuestionHow does the use of social media positively or negatively
influence socio-psychological values among college-going
students?
4. Objectives of the study
1. To study how internet-based digital technology has
changed the mode of daily interaction among college-going
students.
2. To study how does the use of social media help experiment
their online identity
3. To examine how do social media become an instrument
providing a space for freedom of expression.
4. To study social media playing a role in the empowerment
of students both in their academic and non-academic
ventures.
5. To study how the use of social media influence the socio-
psychological values among the students.
5. Methodology
15
Sample survey method was employed for this study. Convenience
samples were taken five departments in an arts and science
college. In each department, 20 students (10 boys and 10 girls)
were chosen for the study. Thus, we have 100 college-going
students (50 boys and 50 girls) as our samples. The age group of
the students selected for the investigation ranged from 17-23
years. Both boys and girls who are using social media on a daily
basis were selected for investigation. The samples consisted both
under graduate and post-graduate students.
The data given by the selected 100 students were processed and
analyzed with the help of SPSS. In particular, statements which
are closely linked with the concept of social interaction,
friendship circle, identity formation, empowerment,
individualistic attitude, self-centeredness etc. are analyzed
separately.
6. Tools for data collection
The investigator prepared a structured questionnaire comprising
of 77 questions and it was issued to the college-students for
data collection. The questionnaire was framed in such a way to
collect some basic demographic information of the students and to
know their usage pattern of internet in general and social media
in particular, their main purpose of using social media etc. The
study made an enquiry into what the type of information they
share in social media, their main online activities which have a
16
positive as well as negative influence on their social
psychological status
The questionnaire also directly targeted on how they exchange
information, upload photos that boosts their self-image and what
kind of feedback they receive from their online friends. And
finally, it had not only questions to probe into the area of
personality development and identity formation but also to
investigate how social media could bring some ill-effects on
their psychological well-being like wasting huge amount of time,
not caring for their offline friends, individualistic attitude
etc.
The investigator was present among the students, and he clarified
doubts and ambiguities when they filled in the questionnaire.
After the filling up of the questionnaire, he had a group
discussion with boys and girls separately. Some in depth
questions were posed to them and they came out with free and
frank sharing about their experiences in using social media. The
group comprised 15-20 students.
7. Analysis and Discussion
This study clearly indicates that the college-going students are
using Facebook as their favorite social media among all other
social media. They at least spend minimum an hour in browsing
social media in a day. The key element attracting them towards
social media is that it provides them a personal space for
17
freedom of expression. The use of social media has both positive
and negative influences on their social life.
7.1 Positive influence of Social Media
Form the study, it is learnt that all most all the students own
some electronic gadgets for their internet use. They are able to
easily access social media either in their laptops or the smart
phones they are having in their hands. These electronic gadgets
have become part and parcel of their lives. The study has
revealed that 54% of the students (28% boys and 26% girls in
table-1) own the laptops supplied freely by Tamil Nadu
government. So the state has also contributed to use of internet
in general and social media in particular.
The electronic device I own
Items Male Female TotalDesktop 3(6%) 2(4%) 5(5%)Tablet 1(2%) 1(2%) 2(2%)
Smart phone15(30
%)9(18%)
24(24%
)Laptop-
purchased3(6%)
12(24%
)
15(15%
)Laptop- Govt
Supplied
28(56
%)
26(52%
)
54(54%
)Table- 1
18
When the respondents were asked who introduced them to social
media?, they answered that it was there friends who introduced to
social media. Out of 100 respondents 59% (as shown in table-2) of
them expressed that it was friends who took them to the world of
social media. This indicates that their friendship group plays
vital role in taking them to the use of social media. They pick
up new values of making friendship and building relationship with
many old friends in social media. It is something innovative that
they come in contact with people of different cultures and
background. This gives them a fresh feeling and a new experience
of online social interaction.
I was introduced to social media by my...
RankFriend
s
Classma
tes
Relati
ves
Parent
s
Senior
sn % n % n % n % N %
1st5
9
59
.018 18.0
1
3
13.
0
1
2
12
.08
8.
0
2nd2
9
29
.042 42.0
1
1
11.
09
9.
07
7.
0
3rd 55.
022 22.0
2
1
21.
0
1
1
11
.0
3
1
31
.0
4th 11.
015 15.0
3
5
35.
0
1
9
19
.0
2
3
23
.0
5th 66.
03 3.0
2
0
20.
0
4
9
49
.0
3
1
31
.0Result 1 2 4 5 3
19
s
Table-2
When they were asked, “How do you look at social media as a new
form of social interaction?” A good number of students (86% of
them as given in table- 3) agreed to the fact that social media
in its form and content have become a novel form of social
interaction. Unlike in face-to-face communication, students could
freely interact with old and new friends without minding any
external factors like his appearance, name, colour, caste,
religion etc. This element of anonymity in social media has
attracted many students. More than boys, many girls want to
remain anonymous in social media because of safety and security.
In the group discussion, girls came out very strongly that they
would neither give their true name nor upload their original
photos as their profile images to avoid unnecessary problems from
the men-folk.
Social media have become a new form of social interaction
MaleFemal
eTotal
Disag
ree2(4%) 1(2%) 3(3%)
Neutr
al
8(16%
)3(6%)
11(11
%)
Agree40(80
%)
46(92
%)
86(86
%)
20
Table- 3
The investigator wanted to find out what is happening to college-
going youth when they use social media like Facebook. Out of 100
students 74 of them (42 boys and 32 girls as found in table-4)
have said that they feel excited and happy when they use
Facebook. They are happy because Facebook is very interactive in
nature and they could quickly receive responses for all their
comments and postings. Although they spend time with virtual
reality, they get the feel of a real life experience in social
media. Moreover, they feel that they are more accepted by their
online friends. This feeling of acceptance becomes a pulling
factor for them to visit their Facebook pages twice or thrice in
a day.
I feel happy when I use social media
Mal
e%
Femal
e%
Tota
l
Disagr
ee0 .0% 2 4.0% 2 2.0%
Neutra
l8
16.0
%16
32.0
%
2
4
24.0
%
Agree 4284.0
%32
64.0
%
7
4
74.0
%
Table- 421
The study also revealed that the college-going students have
found out that social media have become a good a safe platform to
experiment and construct their online identity. They construct
their identity by sharing with all their online friends about
their personal information, uploading photos and through the
conversation. Out of 100 students 57 (as found in table 5) of
them agreed to fact that social media usage has become a new form
of identity formation. Traditional way of forming one’s identity
is challenged by the internet-based digital technology. Is this
online identity is stable and permanent? How is it going to help
the students to stay grounded in the actual reality? All these
questions demand further research and investigation.
Social media usage is a new form of identity formation
Mal
e%
Femal
e%
Tota
l
Disagr
ee7
14.0
%5
10.0
%
1
2
12.0
%
Neutra
l17
34.0
%14
28.0
%
3
1
31.0
%
Agree 2652.0
%31
62.0
%
5
7
57.0
%
Table- 522
7.2 Negative impact of social media
From the study we could learn that the college-going students
have not yet become addicted to using internet, but there are
some evidences of negative impact on the students who are using
social media constantly. This negative impact shape their
general outlook and value system. Out of 100 students 47 of them
(as found in table -6) feel that they are wasting time in social
media. In the group discussion students openly confessed that
they the use of social media eats up much of their precious time.
So they are not able to spend time for the essential things. Some
of them seem to open their Facebook pages in the classroom with
the help of smartphones and lose concentration in the class.
I feel that I waste my time in social media
Mal
e%
Femal
e%
Tota
l
Disagr
ee13
26.0
%15
30.0
%
2
8
28.0
%
Neutra
l15
30.0
%10
20.0
%
2
5
25.0
%
Agree 2244.0
%25
50.0
%
4
7
47.0
%
Table- 6
23
Individualistic attitude does not help the students to have
smooth relationship with their peer group friends. And it would
lead to selfishness. Out of 100 students 38 of them (as shown in
table 7) said social media usage has sowed the seeds of
individualism. And 37 students out of 100 have said that they
have self-centered after using social media. In other words, the
constant social media-users display a tendency that they would
separate themselves from the mainstream of the group activities.
They think that they are superior to others. So unconsciously
they break their ties with other people.
I have become more individualistic after using social media
Mal
e%
Femal
e%
Tota
l
Disagr
ee14
28.0
%13
26.0
%
2
7
27.0
%
Neutra
l13
26.0
%22
44.0
%
3
5
35.0
%
Agree 2346.0
%15
30.0
%
3
8
38.0
%
Table- 7
Although social media in the initial stage has attracted the
college students in a big scale, after some period of time they
experience a sense of boredom and feel fed up with same kind of24
exchange of information, comments and postings. To cross-verify
this fact, the investigator asked this question in group
discussion, and many have expressed the same opinion. More than
boys, girls were very strong with the experience of boredom. The
girls also expressed that if there is no Facebook, we would not
feel bad of any loss. As long as it is available, we would use
it. If it ceases to exist, we would approach that situation with
‘no-loss and no-gain’ attitude.
Sometimes, I feel bored of using social media
Mal
e%
Femal
e%
Tota
l
Disagr
ee9
18.0
%13
26.0
%
2
2
22.0
%
Neutra
l11
22.0
%7
14.0
%
1
8
18.0
%
Agree 3060.0
%30
60.0
%
6
0
60.0
%
Table -8
8. Major findings of the study
1. The college-going students prefer social media as new a
tool and a new form for social interaction and making
friendship in their daily lives.
25
2. They are ready to spend enough and more time in social
media like Facebook, because it provides them a personal
space for self-expression leading to better self-image.
3. The lively interaction that they have in social media
makes them feel not only very happy but also feel very much
accepted by their online friends.
4. Students are attracted to social media because it allows
grater anonymity of the persons unlike in face-to-face
communication. The implication is that social media users
could freely relate to anyone without having any hesitation
about his or her caste, creed, age, colour, qualification
etc.
5. Social media help the students to experiment and
construct their online identity in and through the online
interaction with their friends. They get a sense of
acceptance from their online friends.
6. The information sharing taking place on a daily basis has
really empowered the college-students in terms of improving
their knowledge, current affairs, career development and
motivation to achieving their goals.
7. The use of social media has made the students become more
individualistic and self-centered. In other words, they have
a tendency to get worried about the personal self all the
time.
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8. In spite of personal gains they get from the social
media, the students feel that they are wasting mush of their
time in social media.
9. The students who constantly use social media have already
begun to experience boredom. This is clear a sign that
students expect more novel things beyond social media.
9. Conclusions
Interne-based digital technology has made tremendous change in
the way people communicate with each other. One type of online
applications that have grown very rapidly in prevalence and
popularity in recent years is social media or social networking
sites. They are otherwise called social media. These social media
have attracted the college-going youth in a big scale. Social
media such as Facebook, twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, etc. allow
the students to share their profile information, news, uploading
photos and to have public and private chat with friends. The
students make of social media not only to disseminate information
but also construct and display their identities.
Since the college-going students are in search of identity in
terms of their larger friendship circle, they make use of social
media to friendship with different people of different cultures.
Thus, interactive nature of social media has empowered the
students with gaining of knowledge on various issues affecting
their personality. They find that social media as an innovative
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tool for social interaction and a new form of identity formation.
They get an experience of acceptance by the online friends who
constantly exchange positive feedback with one another.
This study reveals that social media play a very important role
in shaping the social and psychological life of the college-
students. It has both positive influence and negative impact on
the social and psychological life of the students. The college-
students have rightly explored greater possibilities of online
socialization in and through social media and they have succeeded
in that attempt to a large extent. They feel that they are
empowered by the freedom expression, building up relationship,
constructing their online identity in social media. The entire
world is thrown open to the students through browsing social
media and thereby their social life is also shaped into new
pattern of thinking and behaving. The study also indicates that
social media has left the students with a tendency to become more
individualistic and self-centered. They are not able to
prioritize their own activities. Besides this, the more they
spend time in social media the less they give time to their
offline friendship.
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This paper is submitted by
A.IRUDAYARAJ
ADDRESS
A.Irudaya Raj, Research Scholar
Journalism and Mass communication department
Periyar University, Salem- 636011
Email: [email protected] , Mobile: 94438 64471
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