The civic-social media disconnect: exploring perceptions of social media for engagement in the daily life of college students

The emergence of social media tools and technologies to facilitate daily information and communication needs has called into question the relationship between these new spaces and traditional formulations of engagement in daily life. Recent scholarship has exposed both the newfound connectivity that social networks provide, and at the same time questioned the value of these spaces for meaningful participation in social and civic life. This study attempts to provide an insight into the perceptions of young adults toward their social media habits and dispositions. In the 2010/2011 academic year, a survey was administered to over 800 university students, asking about their social media habits across six categories: news, politics, privacy, leisure, education, and relationships. Additionally, focus groups conducted with 71 study participants explored how students saw the role of social media in their personal and civic lives. The results show a population that increasingly uses social media spaces and for all information and communication needs, but that conceptualizes these platforms as primarily social outlets. The emerging disconnects located in the survey and focus group exploration recommends further inquiry into how social media can be positioned as an inclusive tool for engagement in daily life.