The chameleon-like usage of social media and acculturative stress: a qualitative study among Chinese students in Spain.

Abstract

In the context of globalization and the growing influence of social media, we have little knowledge about the acculturation experience of Chinese people in Spain who hold both student and foreigner identity, and the role of social media in such a setting is unclear. In order to gain insight into these areas, thisstudy conducted online interviews with 15 Chinese students in Spain. Through open coding and data analysis, seven kinds of gratifications obtained by using social media in the context of cross-cultural adaptation were identified. The study also found that Chinese students showed a chameleon-like pattern of switching between Western and Chinese social media based on different motivations. In addition, the seven most common sources of stress faced by Chinese students in Spain were discovered and an attempt was made to understand the role of social media plays in their acculturation experiences.