Week 11 Reflection: Social Media Is Not the Same Everywhere

 In many U.S. classroom or university settings, people often assume that students use the same platforms, understand the same online habits, and feel comfortable communicating in the same ways. However, Week 11 reminded me that social media use is shaped by country, language, culture, access, and policy.

Poushter, Bishop, and Chwe (2018)‘s work showed that social media use has continued to rise in many developing countries, while growth has slowed or plateaued in many developed countries. Gramlich (2024) also shows that Germany stands out for its comparatively light use of social media. These examples reminded me that “global social media use” is not one simple story. Different countries have different patterns of adoption, comfort, and daily use.

This matters for higher education because international students may enter U.S. universities with very different social media habits. Some students may use WhatsApp, WeChat, LINE, KakaoTalk, or other platforms more than the tools that are common in the U.S. Some may also come from places where certain platforms are blocked, less trusted, or not widely used. If universities only design communication and support around U.S.-centered platforms, some students may be left out.

My biggest takeaway is that designing for international learners requires humility. Communication styles, platforms, languages, and communication platforms should not be assumed to work for everyone. Students' comfort with visibility and access to social media should be considered if social media is being used for educational or student support activities. There is no one audience for "international." It means sharing the same space with many different experiences.

References

Gramlich, J. (2024). Germans stand out for their comparatively light use of social mediaLinks to an external site.. Pew Research Center.

Poushter, J., Bishop, C., & Chwe, H. (2018). Social media use continues to rise in developing countries but plateaus across developed onesLinks to an external site.. Pew Research Center.