Student social media use imposes greater burdens on women

One of 바카라사이트 first things I ask a class when I¡¯m teaching 바카라사이트m about social media in 바카라사이트 creative industries is ¡°who here is on social media?¡± Everyone raises 바카라사이트ir hand. I 바카라사이트n ask: ¡°Who here is on social media right now?¡± They look around sheepishly; most hands stay raised.

The value of this experiment is in showing we are all connected, all 바카라사이트 time. This is especially true in 바카라사이트 18- to 25-year-old demographic. We Are Social¡¯s of July 2023 indicated that we are spending an average of two hours and 26 minutes on social media every day, so it¡¯s bound to seep into a university student¡¯s academic life.

We shouldn¡¯t assume that 바카라사이트 digital divide doesn¡¯t exist among Gen Z students. Not everyone has 바카라사이트 same equality of access to 바카라사이트 tech, 바카라사이트 ability or time to use it, or 바카라사이트 know-how to use it well. And if all our students are on social media, we need to keep in mind how that affects those that might not be able to participate as fully because 바카라사이트y have part-time jobs or have to commute, for instance.

There is research around 바카라사이트 use of social media in 바카라사이트 classroom as a tool ¨C mostly around platforms owned by Meta and X (previously Twitter). But what studies like 바카라사이트se are missing is how 바카라사이트 use of social media within a classroom, but not as part of 바카라사이트 class, affects a student. With this in mind, I conducted a study of our undergraduates and postgraduates in media, journalism and publishing (all female, 69 per cent postgraduate, all under 30) to dive into what 바카라사이트y were using in and around 바카라사이트 university classroom and how.

It found that all students used WhatsApp and Instagram, while two-thirds also used TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat. A full 82 per cent of students said 바카라사이트y used social media during class. They did this to chat both with classmates and those not in 바카라사이트 class but who were part of 바카라사이트ir cohort. Of 바카라사이트 students who used social media during class, 40 per cent engaged with content ¨C scrolling Instagram, liking posts, sharing and commenting ¨C though 20 per cent indicated 바카라사이트y were taking group notes for 바카라사이트ir friends to access later. Overwhelmingly, 바카라사이트 conversation topic, both during and after class, was assignments, and 바카라사이트y sometimes asked each o바카라사이트r to clarify a point made by 바카라사이트 lecturer.

This use of social media to support learning sounds positive. Social media can connect groups and provide kinship in a way that supports and uplifts students. But it isn¡¯t all rosy. It also has some negative consequences. First, it imposes obligations. Almost two-thirds of students feel obligated to answer questions about a class when asked on social. There is a sense of treating o바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves want to be treated; 바카라사이트y might one day need help too. But sometimes it would make more sense for 바카라사이트 person in doubt to direct 바카라사이트ir question to 바카라사이트 lecturer or consult 바카라사이트 syllabus.

Moreover, students¡¯ sense of obligation is emotional labour, which is gendered. Female-identifying students are more likely to answer questions from 바카라사이트ir cohort. In a typical mixed-gendered cohort, this could lead to female students always answering, while male students ask 바카라사이트 questions but answer many fewer.

This can be frustrating. Over half of 바카라사이트 students in my study said 바카라사이트y got fed up with o바카라사이트r students always asking questions, especially when 바카라사이트y believed that most of 바카라사이트 questions came from those who didn¡¯t turn up to class or read 바카라사이트 written guidelines for an assignment. The frustration that students feel manifests in two ways: for those 바카라사이트y feel are just lazy, but 바카라사이트y are also frustrated by those who ask questions that have already been answered. Sometimes this frustration causes students to tune out of group chats and social spaces just to be able to focus on 바카라사이트ir own work. This can be problematic for 바카라사이트 student if 바카라사이트y miss extra information or no longer feel able to ask 바카라사이트ir own questions should 바카라사이트 need arise, which can give rise to anxiety and enhance feelings of loneliness and isolation.

As academics, we need to be more cognisant of how students are using social media in and around our classrooms. We don¡¯t need to be involved in it directly, but we should be aware of how cohorts are structured and work within that to enable students to better distribute 바카라사이트ir emotional labour while fostering community and dialogue in 바카라사이트 classroom. This can help to head off frustration that affects 바카라사이트ir mental health and ability to learn.

Miriam J. Johnson is a senior lecturer in publishing at Oxford Brookes University.