Social Media Usage and Transitioning into Online Classes During COVID-19- A Survey of Undergraduate Students in Georgia, United States

Previous studies on the use of social media (SM) during the COVID-19 pandemic have focused on the use in sustaining academic communication. This study aimed to assess the association between SM and the ease of transitioning to online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic using survey data from 872 undergraduate students. The findings showed that Snapchat and Instagram were the most preferred social media sites among participants. Compared to students who use SM for <2 hours a day, use for > 5 hours (AOR= 2.44; 95% CI, 1.13 – 5.25) or 3 to 5 hours a day (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.06-3.81) increased the odds of easily transitioning to online classes. Students reported relatively lower odds of ease in transition to online studies if they felt that SM increased their stress (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI, 0.32-0.66). The use of social media for formal academic communication could stimulate an interactive learning environment, foster social presence, and enhance learning outcomes.