SOCIAL MEDIA AND COLLEGE STUDENTS 1

The Real Truth: The Relationship between Social Media and College Students

Halle C. Spanke

Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina

PSYC 228: Laboratory in Psychology

Dr. Melanie Palamores

April 29, 2021

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Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between how

college-age students use social media and gender/grade level. Data was collected using a survey

that was sent out to undergraduate students at the University of South Carolina. The survey first

asked participants introductory demographic questions, followed by 17 questions pertaining to

social media usage using a Linkert scale (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree). An

independent-samples t-test was conducted to investigate the relationship between social media

usage scores and gender (male or female). A between-subjects ANOVA was conducted to

compare the social media usage scores of three different grade levels (sophomores, juniors, and

seniors). Both tests that were conducted resulted in insignificant relationships, showing that

gender and grade level had no effect on social media usage scores.

Keywords: Gender, grade level, social media

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The Real Truth: The Relationship between Social Media and College Students

With this new generation of college students, many of us have grown up using social

media in a variety of ways. Whether it be to stay in contact with long-distance family or friends

or even to post a video tutorial of the breakfast you made that morning, social media is used for a

variety of purposes. To investigate college students’ relationships with social media and their

levels of usage further, factors such as gender and grade level should be considered. As a college

student, social media use can be vital for a number of things. Most college students use their

social media accounts to connect with friends and share moments of their lives through pictures

and videos. Social media has also helped many students find future careers, network with

alumni, and even virtually interact with potential employers. College students use social media to

promote themselves and let the world know who they are. Since social media is such a broad and

diverse platform, college students are able to use it in a variety of ways. With this in mind, do

gender and grade level have an effect on how college students use social media?

The millennial generation was the first generation to come into college with a strong

background of social media use. This generation grew up using social media and the way they

experienced their college careers was different from any other generation. The hypothesis of this

study was that social media usage impacts college students’ social and work lives. “We used a

mixed methods approach of precision tracking with sensors and daily surveys to capture the

data”(Wang et al., 2015). To get more reliable data, computer and phone tracking methods were

used over a seven day period in order to record the exact amount of time college students use

certain social media forums. One idea that was found during this study was that lower classman

(freshmen and sophomores) were likely to use social media more heavily than upperclassman

(juniors and seniors). “Lower classmen are for the most part, more recent arrivals to a new
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university community and thus have a greater need to develop social capital and to maintain

connections with old friends”(Wang et al., 2015). For many college freshmen this is their first

time away from home for a long amount of time and thus feel the need to stay in contact with

their family and friends from home more frequently. “Upperclassmen on the other hand, may feel

a greater need to concentrate on their studies and for preparation for graduate school or careers”

(Wang et al., 2015). There comes a point in which upperclassmen may start shifting from social

media sites to more career-based networking sites. Although this study was done with the

millennial generation, there is truth found in this study that is still present today.

With the rapid spread of social media over the past ten years, many use these platforms to

feel a part of something more. “For example, college students were found to mainly use digital

media to maintain relationships with others” (Kim et al., 2016). The hypothesis of this study was

that individuals need to positively influence their social media and smartphone use. In order to

test this hypothesis, students in the undergraduate level at a public college school were given a

survey. The survey was based upon a 5-point scale and asked students to rank statements as low

as 1, which is equivalent to ‘strongly disagree’ or as high as a 5, which is equivalent to ‘strongly

agree’. These statements were in regards to a person's sense of belonging as well as their social

media use. After the survey was conducted, the hypothesis was found to be significant as college

students’ need to feel a sense of belonging does play an important role in how much they use

social media and in what ways. “Namely the higher the level of desire students have to be part of

a social group and to be loved, the higher the chance they will engage in communication through

digital media” (Kim et al., 2016). Social media helps college students connect and interact with

each other which can be so important on a large campus like the University of South Carolina.
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College students can use social media as a way to become more active members on their campus

as well as strengthening their social skills in a variety of ways.

There are times when social media may have some negative effects on a college student's

lifestyle. “Individuals with a lower self-esteem find it easier to connect with new friends and

communicate through social media since they can avoid one-on-one contact with people”

(Pineiro, 2016). Social media allows people to portray an image of themselves that may or may

not be accurate to their actual selves. To investigate self esteem and social media usage further,

this study's purpose was to understand if there was a strong correlation of social media usage

with self esteem levels. An online survey was given to college students to participate in which

multiple statements, pertaining to self esteem, were to be rated on a 4-point scale. Before the

statement section of the survey was given, participants were also asked to provide how much

time they spent on social media during the day and how many sites they used. “Students had to

report how many hours they spent on social media over the course of an entire day. Their

reporting may not necessarily be consistent with how many hours they actually spend on social

media/networking sites” (Pineiro, 2016). The results of this study showed that self esteem and

social media use had no correlation. If a similar study were to be performed in the future, it

should be paired with a phone or mobile device tracker in order to get a more accurate finding on

how social media usage may impact one's self esteem.

Social media can be very distracting at times especially for college students who may

have more free time than they are accustomed to. “Electronic media use may result in a

displacement effect due to its function as a filler for open time” (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). When

students allow themselves to take breaks in their days this can lead to an unprecedented amount

of time on social media. This study’s hypothesis was that the use of various types of social media
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has a negative effect on first semester grades. To record this data first year students went through

an internet survey using Qualtrics online survey software. The survey included a questionnaire

and a 3-day log for recording activities in which students were engaged. About two-thirds of this

sample size were female and all participants were college freshmen. The results concluded that

the hypothesis was significant and that many students used social media while in class, studying,

and doing homework. “This multitasking likely increased distraction, something prior research

has shown to be detrimental to student performance”(Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). Although social

media can positively impact a college student's networking skills, it has proved to be harmful to

students’ academic success.

College for many students can be very stressful at times; it presents a large workload,

difficult coursework, and constant tests and quizzes. It is also crucial to factor in the high amount

of stress that college students’ feel in an attempt to keep up with the social scene. “Collectively,

these trends suggest that social media and smartphones play an integral role in the routines and

culture of young adults” (Bettmann et al., 2020). The research findings from this study present a

link between social media use and its causal effect on college students’ likelihood to be

depressed or anxious. In order to illuminate the link between social media usage and

depression/anxiety, a case study was used to demonstrate a 24 year old woman's personal

struggle with depression and anxiety as a college student. This woman felt as though her

depression and anxiety were caused by her social media usage. “She described that social media

was one way that she ‘avoided school work’ and that it often led her to compare her life with

those around her and others she didn’t know but ‘followed’ on social media

platforms”(Bettmann et al., 2020). There is little research on treatment for problematic social

media usage but there are ways one can help control how social media makes them feel. College
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students can limit their time on social media per day or could even delete the apps that cause

them depressed or anxious feelings. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the virtual world of

social media and that is why it is important to have control of what is viewed and shared.

Method

Participants

Participants were recruited from undergraduate students at the University of South

Carolina in three separate classes; PSYC 228, PSYC 405, and BIO 302. In the study there were

15 male and 19 female participants. These participants made up a total of 34 participants: 8

participants were Sophomores; 9 participants were Juniors; and 8 participants were Seniors. The

ages of the participants ranged from 19 to 27 years old with a mean of 20 years old. All three

classes were sent an optional survey through email as well as a group messaging app called

Group-Me. All participants identified as either male or female and as a sophomore, junior, or

senior.

Materials and Procedures

In order to test the hypothesis that gender and grade level have a significant effect on

social media usage, a Google Forms survey was sent out via email and Group-Me. Participants

had to give consent to take the survey before being permitted to answer questions and did not

need to include any personal information, making the survey anonymous. Demographic

questions were asked before the start of the social media usage questions in order to get

participants' grade level and gender. As there were surveys with missing demographic
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information, those surveys were left out of the final data analysis. The survey was estimated to

only take participants 2-3 minutes to complete.

Social media use was measured through a 5 item Likert-Scale that measured social media

use and gratifications. On the scale, 1 represented strongly disagreeing with the statement and 5

represented strongly agreeing with the statement. This survey was modified to cover a variety of

social media usages and was condensed to 17 statements instead of the original 30. The original

survey was divided into constructs so that each statement was placed in a different category (ex.

browsing). The survey statements that were picked for the modified survey included the social

media use statements but did not include the gratification statements. Participants were expected

to answer each social media usage statement in the survey. All social media usage statements

were required to be answered in order to complete the survey.

In order to compare results from all participants, each statement score was added together

to get one total score for that particular participant. For example, if there were 17 statements and

a participant put a 5 (strongly agree) for every statement, then that participant would receive a

total score of 85. The scores were added together using a Microsoft Excel document in order to

limit any human error.. A higher total score represented active social media usage with positive

influence while a lower total score represented lower activity in regards to social media with

negative influence. The highest total score a participant could receive was 85 and the lowest total

score that could be received was 17.

The data gathered from this study was analyzed through SPSS. The relationship between

social media usage and gender type was analyzed using an Independent-Samples t-test. The

relationship between social media usage and grade level was analyzed using a One-Way

Between-Subject ANOVA. For the ANOVA, each participant was given an ID number 1-34.
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Results

The hypothesis for this study predicted that there would be a significant difference

between social media usage and grade level/gender. In order to test this hypothesis, types of tests

were performed. To test if there would be a significant difference between social media usage

and gender type, an independent-samples t-test was conducted. The t-test evaluated the

relationship between two genders (male or female) and the sum of the social media scores. To

evaluate the relationship between grade level and social media usage a one-way

between-subjects ANOVA was performed. The data only represented three grade levels as no

Freshmen participated in this study. The dependent variable in this study was the social media

usage score and the grade levels/gender type represented the quasi-independent variable.

An independent sample t-test was done to examine if social media usage scores differed

when participants were male vs. female. The results indicated that there was no significant

difference in social media use scores between Female (M =56.06, SD = 11.76) and Male (M =

55.12, SD = 11.379); t(32) = -.237, p = .814.

A One-Way Between-Subjects ANOVA was conducted in order to determine whether

social media usage scores differed across three college grade levels: sophomores, juniors and

seniors. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in social media use scores

between Sophomores (M = 56.25, SD = 12.551), Juniors (M = 55.25, SD = 9.980), F(2,31) =

.087, p = .917. The bar graph represents little variation of score means for each of the three grade

levels (Figure 1).

Discussion
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The goal of this study was to investigate if there was a significant difference between

social media usage and gender type/grade level. This was done by providing a survey for

undergraduate students to take at the University of South Carolina. The results of this study

indicated that there was no significant difference or correlation between social media usage and

gender/grade. Based on the analyses that were conducted to compare both gender and grade

level with social media usage, neither had much effect on how social media was used.

These results do not correlate with the study done that exemplified a difference in

underclassmen and upperclassmen social media usage. In that study, researchers found a strong

correlation that underclassmen were more active on social media than upperclassmen due to their

eagerness to get involved at a new and large university. “It is possible that these cohorts are

simply different, and when these particular freshmen and sophomores reach junior and senior

status, they will continue to use social media, and Facebook, as much as they do now”(Wang et

al., 2015). Since this study was done with a different generation of college students, it is possible

that social media has had more of an impact on the participants from the previous study.

However, these results did demonstrate higher means for the total scores, thereby signifying that

the participants utilizing social media use it for a purpose. This can tie into the study done that

examined social media usage with a sense of belonging. “This mechanism is significant for both

academic and society because it explains the social behaviors of young adults in relation to their

psychological needs or motivations and digital media consumption”(Kim et al., 2016). Social

media is rapidly growing in our society and college students now are still affected by that.

The results indicated that there was no significant difference between social media usage

and grade level/gender: this could be explained due to limitations within the study. The

participants in this study were self-reporting how they used social media and therefore the results
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may not be entirely truthful or accurate. The statements that participants had to agree or disagree

with were not tracked on a mobile device or any type of software, but based on the participants’

opinion and experience. In the future, it could be helpful to ask participants how often they use

social media and what type of social media sites they use. There were also some participants in

this study that did not answer the demographic questions at the beginning of the survey. It would

be better for all questions on the survey to be mandatory in order to proceed with the rest of the

survey. Because social media encompasses a large variety of platforms, focusing on just one

social media network could make this study more specific in how participants would rank their

social media use. For example, college students nowadays are more likely to have an Instagram

account rather than a Facebook account, so it would be more accurate to target a social media

platform that is popular with young adults. The sample size of this study was also relatively

small compared to most studies with college students. A larger sample size could have given

more variety for each of the statements given about social media usage, therefore giving more

data and background on how college students use social media. Doing further research regarding

this study with more time, more participants, and more resources could help these results have a

closer replication to recent studies.

Social media plays a very large factor in how our society works, therefore it is important

to understand the way people are using it. Knowing how college students at different grade levels

use social media can keep the standards for each level up to date and allow adjustments to be

made on how people can succeed each year.

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References

Bettmann, J. E. (2020, February 15). Young Adult Depression and Anxiety Linked to

Social Media Use: Assessment and Treatment. Clinical Social Work Journal.

http://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-020-00752-1

Jacobsen, W. C., & Forste, R. (2011). The Wired Generation: Academic and Social

Outcomes of Electronic Media Use Among University Students.

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(5), 275–280.

https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2010.0135

Kim, Y., Wang, Y., & Oh, J. (2016). Digital Media Use and Social Engagement: How

Social Media and Smartphones Use Influence Social Activities of College

Students. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(4), 264–269.

https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2015.0408

Pineiro, Carly Renee. (2016) “Social media use and self-esteem in undergraduate

students”. Theses and Dissertations. 1484. http://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1484

Rathnayake, C., & Winter, J. S. (2018). Social Media Uses and Gratifications Scale.

PsycTESTS Dataset, 377–379. https://doi.org/10.1037/t74197-000

Wang, Y., Niiya, M., Mark, G., Reich, S. M., & Warschauer, M. (2015). Coming of Age

(Digitally). Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported

Cooperative Work & Social Computing, 571–582.

https://doi.org/10.1145/2675133.2675271
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Figure 1. Bar graph representing average mean totals for each grade level

Link to Google Forms Survey that was used for this study:

https://forms.gle/Vn3FM3jFCy2Bm9pN9