Does college students’ social media use affect school e-mail avoidance and campus involvement?

• Published in: Internet research Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 213 - 231
• Main Authors: Ha, Louisa, Joa, Claire Youngnyo, Gabay, Itay, Kim, Kisun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 01.01.2018; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
• Subjects: Avoidance; Cellular telephones; College campuses; College faculty; College students; Colleges & universities; Communication; Computer mediated communication; Digital media; Electronic mail; Electronic mail systems; Human-computer interaction; Individualized Instruction; Mail; Media; Media richness; Short message service; Smartphones; Social capital; Social Media; Social networks; Social research; Student Motivation; Students; Text messaging; User behavior; User generated content; User groups; United States > US; Campus involvement; Media use; Education; Social media; E-mail avoidance; Campus media
• DOI: 10.1108/IntR-11-2016-0346
• ISSN: 1066-2243

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how college students’ social media use affects their school e-mail avoidance and campus involvement. Design/methodology/approach The study employed face-to-face interviews and self-administered survey/quantitative data. Findings Communication and business students are more involved on campus and likely to use social media as the primary communication medium than other majors. Social media and text messages are not the culprits of school e-mail avoidance. University departments, student organizations, and faculty advisors’ e-mails are most likely to be avoided. Social media users can be categorized as either “instant communicators” or “online content curators.” Facebook is the only social media brand conducive to campus involvement. Research limitations/implications This study only used one university’s students as sample. In examining school e-mail avoidance, it only focused on the source of e-mail. The study is limited by its sole reliance on quantitative behavioral data. Practical implications University administrators and academic advisors need to reconsider the e-mail communication to students, target at the instant communicator social media users, and use Facebook to create a strong sense of community and campus involvement for their students. Marketers can utilize the two social media user groups in selecting social media in targeting to students. Originality/value The study offered empirical evidence to explain how social media affect students’ school e-mail avoidance and the role of campus media and specific social media outlet on campus involvement. It advances the knowledge of media choice of students and the social media user groups.