Social Media use and Cyber-Harassment Among Undergraduate College Students

Social media are web-based platforms that provide the opportunity to build networks of users who share common interests. Research indicates that college students are among the most frequent users of social media. One negative use of social media is the posting of hurtful messages online with the intent to harm or harass. This chapter describes two studies that explore the use of social media among undergraduate students. The first study examined social media usage, and results support previous research documenting the reported high use of social media among college students. The second study was designed to investigate cyber-harassment experiences among college students. Results indicated that college students experienced cyber-harassment, and there is some evidence that cyber-harassment is correlated negatively with academic and psychological well-being measures. This study expands the research on cyber-harassment among college students.