Social Media Use Among Young Adults With and Without Disabilities: Relationship Benefits and Learning Implications

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 4:55 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Digital Tools and Platforms in Learning and Education (Table 7)

Abstract

Postsecondary students are immersed in social media. It can offer them social supports such as a greater sense of belonging during times of transition, but also inherent risks, including online harassment. Although many studies have examined the social connections or supports for learning that college students without disabilities experience by using social media, few studies have examined these phenomena among college students with disabilities, including neurodevelopmental disabilities such as anxiety disorders (e.g., social anxiety, autism, attention deficit disorder) that make socialization difficult for these young adults. This qualitative case study advances understanding of the social media and socialization experiences of undergraduates with and without disabilities. This work is important because learners’ sense of belonging is critical to engagement and success.

Authors

• Christine M. Greenhow, Michigan State University

• Aisel Akhmedova, Michigan State University

• Jennifer Sutcliffe, Michigan State University

• Marisa Fisher, Michigan State University

• Connie Sung, University of Michigan