THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN SHAPING ACCULTURATION EXPERIENCE: A STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN LAHORE

Abstract

Higher education has grown global in an escalating manner. Now, students travel abroad as higher education has become more international. This scenario is also helping students to discover new cultures and environments. In this maneuver, they face several challenges. During these challenging times, social media allows students to remain connected to their home culture. Moreover, they simultaneously interact with their host culture. This study investigates the function of social media to seek cultural identity and milestones of acculturation for international university students in Lahore, Pakistan. The research took a mixed-methods approach using quantitative survey data from 20 students and qualitative content analysis of Facebook and Instagram posts from 15 students. Demographics, social media usage patterns, general English proficiency, sociocultural adjustment, intergroup anxiety, and acculturation-related stress are examined through a survey. The study reviewed the posted content for frequency of posts, use of language, audience targeting, and implications for cultural identity. The results of the study showed that 72% students (mean = 3.6/5) use social media to connect themselves with their home culture by sharing posts about family, traditions, and experiences. Moreover, host culture content engagement is 62% (mean = 3.0/5), and often the form of passive viewing. 62% (mean = 3.1/5) of students used convergence strategies to connect with mixed audiences and engage the host culture. However, 72% (mean = 3.6/5) of them used divergence strategies to maintain connections with their home culture. They represent a conscious negotiation of cultural identity, and are consistent with Berry’s Acculturation Model and Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT). The findings indicate that social media support emotional state, alleviating acculturative stress and providing a controlled environment for gradual integration into the host culture. The findings have direct implications for universities on how to organize digital orientation programs, intercultural workshops, and peer mentoring initiatives. The limitations of this study are its small sample size and geographic bounds. Moreover, this is a geographically focused study and relies on short-term observation. This suggests that future researchers should adopt a longitudinal approach for generalized results.