Friday, April 23, 2010

Students Addicted to Social Media - New UM Study

21 April 2010
University of Maryland Newsdesk

A new study out today from the International Center for Media & the Public Agenda (ICMPA) at the University of Maryland, concludes that most college students are not just unwilling, but functionally unable to be without their media links to the world. "I clearly am addicted and the dependency is sickening," said one person in the study. "I feel like most people these days are in a similar situation, for between having a Blackberry, a laptop, a television, and an iPod, people have become unable to shed their media skin."

The new ICMPA study, "24 Hours: Unplugged," asked 200 students at the College Park campus to give up all media for 24 hours. After their 24 hours of abstinence, the students were then asked to blog on private class websites about their experiences: to report their successes and admit to any failures. The 200 students wrote more than 110,000 words: in aggregate, about the same number of words as a 400-page novel.

WITHOUT DIGITAL TIES, STUDENTS FEEL UNCONNECTED EVEN TO THOSE WHO ARE CLOSE BY

"We were surprised by how many students admitted that they were 'incredibly addicted' to media," noted the project director Susan D. Moeller, a journalism professor at the University of Maryland and the director of the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda which conducted the study. "But we noticed that what they wrote at length about was how they hated losing their personal connections. Going without media meant, in their world, going without their friends and family."
"The students did complain about how boring it was go anywhere and do anything without being plugged into music on their MP3 players," said Moeller. "And many commented that it was almost impossible to avoid the TVs on in the background at all times in their friends' rooms. But what they spoke about in the strongest terms was how their lack of access to text messaging, phone calling, instant messaging, email and Facebook, meant that they couldn't connect with friends who lived close by, much less those far away."

"Texting and IM-ing my friends gives me a constant feeling of comfort," wrote one student. "When I did not have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and secluded from my life. Although I go to a school with thousands of students, the fact that I was not able to communicate with anyone via technology was almost unbearable."
The student responses to the assignment showed not just that 18-21 year old college students are constantly texting and on Facebook -- with calling and email distant seconds as ways of staying in touch, especially with friends -- but that students' lives are wired together in such ways that opting out of that communication pattern would be tantamount to renouncing a social life.

NEWS: ACCESSED VIA CONNECTIONS WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY

Very few students in the study reported that they regularly watched news on television or read a local or national newspaper (although a few said they regularly read The Diamondback, the University of Maryland student newspaper). They also didn't mention checking mainstream media news sites or listening to radio news while commuting in their cars. Yet student after student demonstrated knowledge of specific news stories. How did they get the information? In a disaggregated way, and not typically from the news outlet that broke or committed resources to a story. "To be entirely honest I am glad I failed the assignment," wrote one student, "because if I hadn't opened my computer when I did I would not have known about the violent earthquake in Chile from an informal blog post on Tumblr."

"Students expressed tremendous anxiety about being cut-off from information," observed Ph.D. student Raymond McCaffrey, a former writer and editor at The Washington Post, and a current researcher on the study. "One student said he realized that he suddenly 'had less information than everyone else, whether it be news, class information, scores, or what happened on Family Guy."

"They care about what is going on among their friends and families and even in the world at large," said McCaffrey. " But most of all they care about being cut off from that instantaneous flow of information that comes from all sides and does not seemed tied to any single device or application or news outlet."

That's the real takeaway of this study for journalists: students showed no significant loyalty to a news program, news personality or even news platform. Students have only a casual relationship to the originators of news, and in fact rarely distinguished between news and more general information.

While many in the journalism profession are committing significant resources to deliver content across media platforms --print, broadcast, online, mobile -- the young adults in this study appeared to be generally oblivious to branded news and information. For most of the students reporting in the study, information of all kinds comes in an undifferentiated wave to them via social media. If a bit of information rises to a level of interest, the student will pursue it -- but often by following the story via "unconventional" outlets, such as through text messages, their email accounts, Facebook and Twitter.

Students said that only the most specific or significant news events -- for example, a medal event at the Olympics -- merited their tuning into to a mainstream outlet. Even news events that students cared about were often accessed via their personal interactions. To learn about the Maryland vs. Virginia Tech basketball game, for example, one student told of "listening to someone narrate the game from a conversation they were having on their own phone" (although he would have preferred watching it on TV) and another student told of calling her father to learn more about the earthquake in Chile.

STUDY BACKGROUND:

The University of Maryland is a large state university campus, and the class, JOUR 175: Media Literacy, that undertook this 24-hour media-free assignment, is a "core course" for the entire student body -- which means it enrolls undergraduate students across majors. It is, in short, a class of 200 students, characterized by a diversity of age, race, ethnicity, religion and nationality. According to the assignment, students had to go media-free for a full day (or had to try to go media-free), but they were allowed to pick which 24 hours in a nine-day period, from February 24-March 4. By coincidence that period saw several major news events, including the earthquake in Chile on February 27, and the close of the Vancouver Olympics on February 28.

According to separately obtained demographic data on the student class, 75.6 percent of the students in JOUR 175 self-identify as Caucasian/White, 9.4 percent as Black, 6.3 percent as Asian, 1.6 percent as Latino, 3.1 percent as Mixed Race and 3.9 percent as Other. Students who self-reported themselves as non-American, said they were from China, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. Women outnumbered men, 55.9 percent to 44.1 percent.

44.1 percent of the class reported that their parents or guardians earned over $100,000 or more; 28.3 percent reported that their parents or guardians earned between $75-$100,000; 22 percent reported coming from a household with an income between $50-75,000; and 5.5 percent reported that their families' income was between $25-50,000.

40.9 percent of the students who responded to the demographic survey reported that they were first-year students, 40.9 percent reported that they were sophomores, 11 percent reported that they were juniors, and 7.1 reported that they were seniors or beyond. Most students reported their ages as between 18-21; the average class age was 19.5.

When asked about what types of media devices they own, 43.3 percent of the students reported that they had a "smart phone" (i.e. a Blackberry or an iPhone), and 56.7 percent said they did not.

Prof. Susan Moeller led the study research team, and the six teaching assistants for the course acted as researchers/authors, conducting a qualitative content analysis of the student responses. Those six TAs, all PhD students in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, were: Ms. EunRyung Chong, Mr. Sergei Golitsinski, Ms. Jing Guo, Mr. Raymond McCaffrey, Mr. Andrew Nynka and Ms. Jessica Roberts.

176 comments:

Fred Hudson said...

I believe it. I can understand it. I feel the same way with regard to my internet sites where I keep up with what's going on. I can't imagine going back to the days before the internet. I don't text, I can't imagine ever having a Blackberry or iPhone, but I equally I can't imagine not having internet access. I too would feel toally cut off from the world without the internet.

Anonymous said...

It is interesting too that young people get their information from such a mesh of so many different, nontraditional sources.

Anonymous said...

buy diazepam online can you buy valium in the uk - buy roche valium online

Anonymous said...

tramadol no rx tramadol for dogs vs people - buy tramadol online from usa

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol online without prescriptions - tramadol hexal 100 mg

Anonymous said...

tramadol online overnight tramadol withdrawal symptoms usa - tramadol hcl 50 mg half life

Anonymous said...

klonopin online will 2mg klonopin do - klonopin rls

Anonymous said...

2mg klonopin klonopin withdrawal youtube - klonopin dosage info

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol 50mg much acetaminophen - tramadol 50 mg et zoloft

Anonymous said...

klonopin for anxiety klonopin withdrawal back pain - klonopin withdrawal and seizures

Anonymous said...

buy ativan online ativan withdrawal benadryl - strength of ativan vs xanax

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol addiction methadone - can buy tramadol usa

Anonymous said...

klonopin anxiety klonopin .5mg withdrawal - klonopin dosage vs xanax

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy cheap tramadol online cod - can you buy tramadol over the counter in usa

Anonymous said...

tramadol online where to buy tramadol online - tramadol addiction lawsuits

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol generic names - discount tramadol online

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol withdrawal day 8 - is tramadol online real

Anonymous said...

ativan online ativan for pain - ativan zyrtec

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol uk buy tramadol from trusted pharmacy - tramadol hcl generic

Anonymous said...

ambien on line buy ambien cr no prescription - can take 2 10 mg ambien

Anonymous said...

ativan no prescription considered overdose ativan - ativan generic cost

Anonymous said...

buy soma soma compound 350 mg - soma san diego music

Anonymous said...

ambien without prescription ambien withdrawal valium - ambien side effects double vision

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol 50mg max dosage - ultram-tramadol online

Anonymous said...

ativan without prescription ativan reactions - ativan dosage per weight

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online kind pill tramadol hcl - buy tramadol overnight with mastercard

Anonymous said...

buy ambien online side effects of sleeping pill ambien - took 2 10mg of ambien

Anonymous said...

generic tramadol tramadol dosage for humans - tramadol withdrawal high blood pressure

Anonymous said...

order ativan how long ativan withdrawal last - usual dosage ativan anxiety

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol next day tramadol 50 mg recommended dose - buy tramadol cod overnight delivery

Anonymous said...

klonopin anxiety klonopin 93 833 effects - klonopin dosage high

Anonymous said...

generic ambien ambien cr 6.25 mg prices - ambien buy mail order

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol no prescription - online pharmacy with tramadol

Anonymous said...

soma online buy soma pills - soma drug interactions

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online buy tramadol online coupon - tramadol xr recreational

Anonymous said...

generic ambien ambien walrus myth busted - ambien side effects liver

Anonymous said...

cheapest viagra drug like viagra for women - generic viagra pics

Anonymous said...

order carisoprodol online soma san diego enter shikari - soma san diego box office

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online buy tramadol online saturday delivery - buy tramadol legally online

Anonymous said...

cheap klonopin online valium or klonopin for anxiety - weight gain from klonopin

Anonymous said...

tramadol online cod gettin high on tramadol - tramadol withdrawal 2 weeks

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol no prescription overnight cod delivery - tramadol for dogs withdrawal

Anonymous said...

buy propecia online much does propecia cost year - propecia 5mg side effects

Anonymous said...

buy retin-a where to buy retin a cream in australia - buy cheap retin-a online

Anonymous said...

order tramadol tramadol 50mg pl - what is ultram tramadol used for

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol for dogs buy tramadol online from usa - tramadol hcl vs vicodin

Anonymous said...

tramadol overnight shipping tramadol for dogs an 627 - tramadol breastfeeding

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol ultram online without rx - buy tramadol online saturday delivery

Anonymous said...

tramadol 50 mg tramadol long term side effects - will 50mg tramadol do you

Anonymous said...

buy retin a micro cheap retin a no prescription - retin a for acne over the counter

Anonymous said...

buy propecia online propecia user reviews - propecia generic efficacy

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cod online rimadyl vs tramadol for dogs - tramadol withdrawal with vicodin

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol overnight tramadol 100mg wikipedia - tramadol rx purchase

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol 24x7 - buy ultram with mastercard

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol can you buy tramadol over the counter in usa - buy tramadol no prescription overnight

Anonymous said...

buy propecia online propecia generic equivalent - propecia generic drug

Anonymous said...

tramadol no prescription buy tramadol online overnight usa - drug study tramadol generic name

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription buy viagra us pharmacy - viagra online overnight shipping

Anonymous said...

generic viagra cost generic viagra us - buy viagra from us

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol online no rx - tapering off ultram tramadol

Anonymous said...

generic viagra buy viagra online norway - viagra online rx

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol tramadol 50 mg mfg zydus - tramadol 50 mg online pharmacy

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra viagra dosage in pulmonary hypertension - viagra buy us cheap

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra viagra quotes - easy buy viagra online

Anonymous said...

viagra no prescription brand viagra online pharmacy - viagra for women price in us

Anonymous said...

cheapest cialis can you buy cialis online with no prescription - cialis online legitimate

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol 180 - buy 200 mg tramadol online

Anonymous said...

viagra no prescription buy viagra kenya - viagra dosage side effects

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra where to buy viagra online forum - do buy viagra online

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra does viagra work if you have low testosterone - buy legit viagra online

Anonymous said...

viagra 50mg cheap viagra us paypal - viagra buy safe

Anonymous said...

viagra 50mg viagra for women symptoms - viagra dosage and frequency

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription viagra quiz - buy viagra discount

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra buy viagra online from usa - buy viagra online cheap

Anonymous said...

buy viagra online viagra buy online - where to buy viagra online with no prescription

Anonymous said...

generic viagra viagra online in us - online pharmacy sells viagra

Anonymous said...

viagra sildenafil safest place buy viagra online - viagra jet

Anonymous said...

viagra cost viagra dosage - generic viagra accept paypal

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol online cash delivery - buy tramadol safely

Anonymous said...

generic viagra viagra online london - cheap viagra online pharmacy prescription

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription reliable online pharmacy viagra - order viagra online australia

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription viagra 2 chainz instrumental - best place buy viagra

Anonymous said...

generic viagra generic viagra line pharmacy - buy genuine pfizer viagra us

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription cheap legal viagra - viagra buy online

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra viagra buy spain - does viagra work with diabetes

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online no prescription buying cialis online canada - cialis online with paypal

Anonymous said...

generic cialis buy cialis online with paypal - buy original cialis online

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra viagra buy genuine ru - buy viagra pay with paypal

Anonymous said...

buy cialis price-cialis in singapore - generic cialis india

Anonymous said...

cialis online order cialis online overnight - cialis canadian pharmacy

Anonymous said...

viagra sildenafil viagra no prescription australia - buy generic viagra from us

Anonymous said...

generic viagra online buy viagra online legally - viagra 88 keys lyrics

Anonymous said...

cheap viagra online prescription viagra buy online - viagra nitrates

Anonymous said...

cheapest cialis cialis mail order - buy cialis johannesburg

Anonymous said...

generic cialis price of cialis without insurance - buy cialis online greece

Anonymous said...

buy cialis cialis ed reviews - cialis usa online pharmacy no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy soma online soma san diego interpol - soma carisoprodol no prescription

Anonymous said...

generic cialis cialis lowest price - buy cialis mastercard

Anonymous said...

cialis no prescription cialis online lowest price - buy cialis online europe

Anonymous said...

generic cialis cialis onset of action - cialis 5mg dosage

Anonymous said...

soma price soma online arizona - what is soma 350 mg prescribed for

Anonymous said...

buy soma generic legal buy soma online - soma watson brand 350 mg

Anonymous said...

buy soma online soma san diego foster the people - buy soma online no prescription overnight

Anonymous said...

buy cialis cheap cialis online usa - buy real cialis no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy soma online soma hair products - soma bras buy

Anonymous said...

order soma online soma kamisori saddle - soma san diego

Anonymous said...

buy soma online soma recreational drug use - drug interactions between soma tramadol

Anonymous said...

soma no prescription soma san diego blink 182 - some pills

Anonymous said...

buy soma tramadol soma online - soma muscle cramps

Anonymous said...

buy soma online soma 650b conversion - is soma medication a narcotic

Anonymous said...

soma online soma apartments for sale san francisco - soma medication website

Anonymous said...

generic soma drug interactions soma neurontin - buy soma overnight fedex

Anonymous said...

buy soma soma muscle relaxer street value - where to buy soma bras

Anonymous said...

discount soma much do soma cost street - buy soma online with cod

Anonymous said...

soma online drug interactions soma xanax - buy soma online overnight

Anonymous said...

soma medication where to buy soma online overnight - 350mg soma value

Anonymous said...

soma for sale buy soma online no rx - buy soma online us

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol online mastercard overnight - tramadol withdrawal in pregnancy

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online buy cialis online usa pharmacy - cialis online+toronto

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online buy tramadol no prescription mastercard - tramadol 37.5

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online best price generic cialis 20 mg - how to buy cialis online from usa

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol how many tramadol 50mg can you take - buy tramadol tablets

Anonymous said...

cheap tramadol tramadol 4od - buy tramadol online mastercard overnight

Anonymous said...

generic tramadol best high tramadol - buy tramadol online paypal

Anonymous said...

tramadol overnight shipping buy tramadol cod saturday delivery - buy tramadol in australia

Anonymous said...

buy retin a retin a micro sizes - buy generic retin a online no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol 50 mg long term use - tramadol for dogs panting

Anonymous said...

order tramadol online without prescription tramadol hcl online - tramadol online no prescription overnight

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cheap no prescription tramadol 100 mg injetavel - tramadol dosage humans weight

Anonymous said...

tramadol buy tramadol overdose emed - tramadol hcl long term effects

Anonymous said...

purchase tramadol tramadol online 99 - buy tramadol online in uk

Anonymous said...

retin a creme retin-a cream 0.05 acne - where to buy retin a micro no prescription

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online reviews tramadol 200 mg high - tramadol hcl used dogs

Anonymous said...

retin a buy online buy retin a cream 0.1 online - where to buy retin a online no prescription

Anonymous said...

order tramadol overnight tramadol hcl withdrawal - tramadol hcl side effects

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol hcl purchase - tramadol 50 mg iv

Anonymous said...

cheap tramadol buy tramadol online pay with cod - buy tramadol for pet

Anonymous said...

buy generic tramadol no prescription order tramadol online usa - tramadol 50 mg compared

Anonymous said...

cheap tramadol buy tramadol cod personal check - where can i buy tramadol over the counter in the us

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online buy cheap cialis usa visa - tadalafil cialis cheap

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol 93/58 - buy tramadol online dogs

Anonymous said...

cheap tramadol buy tramadol from india - 50mg tramadol high dose

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online buy tramadol 50mg usa - tramadol hcl no prescription

Anonymous said...

order tramadol online mastercard tramadol much get high - tramadol depression

Anonymous said...

tramadol online tramadol hydrochloride 50 mg addiction - tramadol 50 mg para que sirve

Anonymous said...

generic xanax xanax drug test detection time - what is xanax xr 2mg

Anonymous said...

generic xanax xanax pills they used - xanax side effects tremors

Anonymous said...

xanax online long does 2mg xanax last - xanax bars numbers

Anonymous said...

generic xanax xanax clearance drug screen - xanax klonopin comparison

Anonymous said...

xanax online buy xanax no prescription overnight - xanax juicy j

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol 180 generic name tramadol - tramadol 50 mg and aleve

Anonymous said...

generic carisoprodol carisoprodol schedule - carisoprodol kratom

Anonymous said...

generic tadalafil order cialis - generic 36 hour cialis

Anonymous said...

alprazolam without prescription xanax withdrawal how long - xanax 5mg side effects

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online cialis price rise - cialis prostate

Anonymous said...

xanax online xanax bars effects alcohol - can you order xanax online

Anonymous said...

cialis online generic cialis 40 mg - cialis daily or as needed

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online cialis yan etkileri - is cialis daily dangerous

Anonymous said...

xanax online 4 bar xanax effects - xanax effects synapse

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol no prescription usa - buy tramadol in dubai

Anonymous said...

http://landvoicelearning.com/#44827 tramadol for dogs 50mg dosage - buy tramadol online overnight cod

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol to buy online in usa - tramadol online overnight saturday delivery

Anonymous said...

klonopin drug klonopin causing anxiety - klonopin 1 mg recreational use

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol buy tramadol without script - tramadol 100mg usa

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol cod tramadol withdrawal blog - tramadol ingredients side effects

Anonymous said...

tramadol 100 buy tramadol online with cod - how to order tramadol online no prescription

Anonymous said...

http://www.integrativeonc.org/adminsio/buyklonopinonline/#buy can overdose klonopin kill you - side effects getting off klonopin

Anonymous said...

http://landvoicelearning.com/#51438 tramadol hcl 50mg 627 - ultram er vs tramadol

Anonymous said...

http://landvoicelearning.com/#57594 tramadol hcl 50 mg tablet high - tramadol online florida

Anonymous said...

learn how to buy tramdadol tramadol hcl acet - tramadol generic drug

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol tramadol for dogs euthanasia - tramadol for dogs taste

Anonymous said...

learn how to buy tramdadol buy tramadol online australia no prescription - tramadol hcl 50mg dosage

Anonymous said...

klonopin drug overdose mg of klonopin - klonopin in urine

Anonymous said...

carisoprodol 350 mg carisoprodol drug classification - carisoprodol 350 mg dosage

Anonymous said...

carisoprodol 350 mg carisoprodol buy online no prescription - buy carisoprodol usa

Anonymous said...

carisoprodol 350 mg carisoprodol insufflation - carisoprodol 350 mg photo