Use of social media in migration decision making

Abstract

The use of social media in migration decision making has attracted the attention of researchers in recent works. The current study investigated the influence of social media on decisions by migrants to move from their hometowns to the city. Their use of social media for integration activities in the city and the methods they use to connect with their family and friends back home were also studied. A survey was used to investigate three hypothesis. The first was a correlation between social media use in the decision to migrate and its use for integration activities after migration. The second hypothesis focused on the correlation between social media use in integration activities and its use for connection with place of origin. The final hypothesis was a correlation between the social media use in the decision to migrate and its use for connections with place of origin. A Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and descriptive statistics were used to test the hypothesis and answer research questions, respectively. Findings suggest an influential role of social media in the interactions and information search by migrants prior to their move and while they are at their destinations. Key words: Social media, migration, integration, connection.