Settling in with Social Media

International students start a new life in a new country with a new social network. Social media has the potential to aid this process. This study explores the role of social media in the settling-in phase of international freshmen in the Netherlands, offering a broad approach of the different ways in which university students use social media, as this approach seems absent from earlier research. The goal of this study was to distinguish the choice for and use of social media platforms, as well as look for possible cultural differences. This was done using a theoretical framework of the accumulation of social capital, Uses and Gratifications theory, one’s social (student) identity, and cultural values. Five focus groups existing of international students in the Netherlands were formed. The results revealed four themes: convenience, socializing, risk reduction and barriers. Convenience was understood as the practicality and ease that social media brought during the settling-in process. Regarding socializing, face-to-face contact was preferred, yet social media was seen as a tool to make it easier. Social media was also used to reduce risk and gain a sense of comfort. Barriers existed in social media use in terms of differences in platform preferences and dealing with homesickness. No strong differences were found among cultural values.