Student use of social media: An Australian case study

Social media is now a communications tool of choice for many individuals, commercial and not for profit organizations. There is compelling evidence that the higher education sector has also been an enthusiastic adopter of social media. However, a review of the literature indicates that there is little information on the use of social media by Australian university students. The objective of this study is to investigate the use and beliefs of social media by this distinct user segment. The impact of demographic characteristics is also assessed by testing hypotheses. Based on 79 online survey responses and qualitative data from focus groups, this paper explores the use of and beliefs towards social media by tertiary education students in the Northern Territory, Australia.