How Can Social Media Be Helpful for Immigrants to Integrate Society in the US

 Erdem, Bora. 2018. “How Can Social Media Be Helpful for Immigrants to Integrate Society in the US.” European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3: 74-79.

This article discusses the role of social media platforms in integrating immigrants into the society of the United States. The author defines immigrant integration as “the process whereby newcomers in a particular country become part of the hosting community,”  while social media is described as “a collection of online channels of communication that have a dedication towards society-based inputs, collaboration, [and] improving interactions between different segments of the community […].” Having interviewed 30 immigrants to collect data on the interplay between social media and immigrant integration, the research postulates that: 1) social media was the respondents’ most prefered internet application, 2) these immigrants spend more time on social media in the U.S. than in their origin countries, and 3) the interviewees believe that social media makes cultural and language integration easier. These findings support the author’s hypothesis that social media can be leveraged to help immigrants integrate into the American society by sharing connections and vital information about residing in the U.S.

Link to full article: Research Gate