“It keeps me close to my family”

Abstract

This study examines the role of social media in the adaptation and acculturation experiences of African graduate students in the United States. While research on international students has focused on academic, cultural, and social challenges, limited attention has been given to how digital platforms shape everyday adjustment, particularly among African students. Drawing on social support theory, acculturation theory, and transnational perspectives, this study explores how social media functions within students’ lived experiences of migration. Using a qualitative design, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 African graduate students from countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone at a public U.S. university. Thematic analysis revealed that social media supports family connections, emotional coping, information seeking, and network building. The findings suggest that social media enables ongoing transnational engagement, allowing students to remain connected to home while adapting to new environments, highlighting its central role in contemporary adaptation processes.