Social, Psychological, Professional and Academic Features of the Use of Social Media in the Activities of Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

In addition to being an important part of modern public consciousness, social media are seen as the basis of information and educational activities in higher education institutions. However, social media have not only social and academic, but also psychological impact (which is important for foreign students during the acculturation process). Furthermore, the Article states that certain social media (e.g. LinkedIn) contribute to the formation of professional and academic directions because they provide interaction with the teaching staff of an educational institution. Thus, the issue of the practical application of social media by universities as part of their activities is relevant. This allowed us to formulate the purpose of our study, i.e. the theoretical substantiation of social, psychological, professional and academic features and analysis of the practice of using social media in the activities of universities in Ukraine (V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University) and the US (New York University). The Article outlines the criteria for selecting countries and universities for the study as well as the methods used such as analysis (when studying the practical application and concept of social media content), synthesis (to aggregate the data obtained and interpret the Outcome (Competencies) category) and statistical method (aimed at working with information and digital data). Having analysed the content of social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, we concluded that the Content category is represented in the selected universities by materials of an informational, socio-educational and lecture nature. It should be emphasised that professional video content of New York University is more effective due to its thematic diversity. In turn, the Outcome (Competencies) category is determined by the professional development of students, building emotional and psychological resilience when adapting to a new social or social and cultural (for foreign students) environment.