Facebook Campus: Exploring the Evolution of Facebook Culture in University Students

This study examines Facebook usage and the relationship online social networking has to academic and social integration. Twelve focus group participants at a research institution were interviewed exploring use of Facebook to enhance overall social integration into collegiate life and campus experience. This study uncovered emergent themes of Facebook usage regarding motivation of usage, safety concerns, community development, and issues regarding privacy. Tthe study found that student communication with the campus community and social integration with college culture may start well-before enrollment on campus. Students forge communication channels with the college culture in high school through Facebook. The influence of online social networks like Facebook in the social experience of undergraduate students cannot be denied, and the boundaries between the virtual world of Facebook and actual campus community are not exclusive of each other. More needs to be learned of the social ramifications on the college experience.School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadershi