I am happy to finally make my entire final dissertation available for all to download and read.  This document represents some of the first qualitative research into how traditionally aged college students use social media and its impact on their development and how they construct identities online.  If you want a more detailed description, I’ve included the abstract below.

Interested in downloading it?  In addition to the dissertation now being available on the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database, I’ve also made it available as direct download here from my website.

Suggestions for readers.  Depending on your purpose in reading it, you may want to focus in on some chapters more than others.  Those interested in the general findings should focus in on Chapters 1 and 7, the first and last chapters.  If you want to read the direct quotes from the students and their stories (perhaps the most interesting and accessible part) focus on Chapter 5.  College students educators interested in the implications of this research for their work will want to focus in on Chapter 6.  I’ve included the table of contents below if you want to get a sense as to how the over all document flows.

Supplemental materials.  The remainder of this post includes videos and slides from my dissertation defense, proposal defense, and various other presentations of my research material at various stages throughout the process.

Cite it.  Brown, P. G. (2016). College students, social media, digital identities, and the digitized self (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (Accession Order No. 1776598125)

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College students, social media, digital identities, and the digitized self

Abstract

Social media and digital technologies are ever present in the surround of current traditionally-aged college students. Although research into understanding these experiences is increasing, there is a need for further research into what may be developmentally different for this generation. Postmodern theorists have posited that as a result of digitization, traditional conceptualizations of selfhood and identity may be changing. The contexts and affordances of these technologies are having an impact on human development and contemporary college students are uniquely situated to experience their effects.

This qualitative study aimed to understand how these college students conceptualize their sense of self and identity as a result of digital and social media immersion. In particular, this study explored aspects of digital identity and digitized selfhood to surface important behaviors and developmental processes that are being impacted. Sixteen traditionally-aged college students, primarily in their fourth year of college, participated in a series of interviews and observations to probe this question and were selected as exceptional cases for their heavy usage of social technology. During this process, students were asked about how they conceived of their identity and identities online and how it impacted their overall sense of self.

Findings for this study did not reveal fully realized postmodern conceptions of selfhood, such as Kenneth Gergen’s (2009) relational self, but participants did demonstrate understandings of selfhood and identity that hinted at this possibility, including what Robert Kegan (1994) would characterize as fifth order consciousness. Identities were found to be subject to contextual and relational processes that required constant maintenance and reconstruction. Additional findings uncovered college student developmental patterns that reach from being externally defined, and beholden to the views of others, towards internal definition, whereby students made conscious choices about social media use. Implications for practice include the need to educate students on digital reputation and identities, the importance of reflection and goal setting in relation to social media, and the necessity to partner with students as our collective understanding of technology evolves.

Indexing (details)

Subject: Higher Education Administration; Developmental psychology; Higher education
Classification: 0446: Higher Education Administration; 0620: Developmental psychology; 0745: Higher education
Identifier / keywords: Psychology, Education, College student development, Higher education, Identity, Social media, Student affairs, Technology
Title: College students, social media, digital identities, and the digitized self
Author: Brown, Paul Gordon (ORCID: 0000-0001-9373-9557)
Number of pages: 253
Publication year: 2016
Degree date: 2016
School code: 0016
Source: DAI-A 77/08(E), Dissertation Abstracts International
Place of publication: Ann Arbor
Country of publication: United States
ISBN: 9781339565118
Advisor: Arnold, Karen
Committee members: Kane, Gerald; Rowan-Kenyon, Heather
University/institution: Boston College
Department: Educational Leadership and Higher Education
University location: United States — Massachusetts
Degree: Ph.D.
Source type: Dissertations & Theses
Language: English
Document type: Dissertation/Thesis
Dissertation/thesis number: 10053377
ProQuest document ID: 1776598125
Copyright: Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.
Document URL: http://search.proquest.com/docview/1776598125/FFB9327825EC4423PQ/1

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One: The Problem of College Students, Social Media, and the Self	1
Overview of the Study	2
Research Aims and Question	4
Research Purpose and Scope	5
Research Perspective	7
Key Concepts	9
Digital Identity and Self-Presentation	9
Online Identification: Anonymity, Pseudoanonymity, and “True” Identity	11
Digitized Selfhood and Development	12
Affordances and Functionalities	15
Research Significance and Rationale	16
Returning to the Research Question	18
Conclusion	20
Chapter Two: Social Media and College Students	21
Digital and Social Technologies and the Social and Participatory Web	22
Web 2.0	23
User-Generated Content and Microcontent	24
Social Media	26
Folksonomies and the Social Graph	27
Definitions: Social and Digital Technology	29
Social and Digital Technology Use and Adoption	31
Internet Usage and Device Ownership	31
Social Media Usage	33
College Student Learning and Development With Social Media	35
Theories and Frames	35
Constructivism and Co-Constructivism	36
Connectivism	38
Critical Theory	40
Usage of Frames and Theories	41
State of the Literature	42
Formal Versus Informal Learning	43
Academic Life	45
College Student Life Online	48
Qualitative Research	50
Conclusion	53
Chapter 3: Postmodernity and a Changing View of the Self	55
Young Adulthood and the College Years	56
Developing an Identity and a Self	57
Entering Postmodernity	58
The Self: Saturated and Fragmented, Fluid and Fused	60
Identity Fluidity	63
Fusion with Technology	64
The Self: Connected and Networked	66
The Postmodern Self	67
Evidence and Implications for a Generation	68
Conclusion	70
Chapter 4: Methodology	72
Definitions of Self and Identity	73
Research Question	74
Qualitative Research	74
Grounded theory	75
Conceptual Framework	78
Pilot Study	82
Research Design	84
Population and sampling	85
Data gathering procedures	88
Participant Recruitment	89
Pre-Interview Questionnaire	89
Instrument	91
Interviews	91
Protocol	93
Observations	94
Protocol	94
Data Analysis	95
Validity	97
Ethical Considerations	100
Positionality/Reflexivity	101
Limitations	103
Conclusion	105
Chapter 5: Findings	106
Participants	107
Technology Usage	107
Demographics	111
Curated Profiles And Digital Identities Online	114
Being Seen By Others	114
Context Collapse	116
A Selective View Of “Reality”	119
Curating Perfected Images	121
The Importance Of Likes	123
Deciding On The Perfect Photo	128
Perfection By Omission	129
Consuming Perfected Images	132
Fear Of Missing Out	133
Psychological Impact	135
Developmental Patterns Over Time	136
The Pre-College Years	137
The Post-College Years	141
Emergence Of Digitized Development and Selfhood	143
In Real Life Versus True Self	145
Digitized Selfhood.	147
Heavy Usage Versus Integration	147
One Self Versus Multiple Selves	149
The “Real” You?	151
Analogies.	153
Lower Integration Analogies	155
Slide Projector	155
Outfits, Coats, and Masks	156
Parallel Tracks	157
Higher Integration Analogies	158
Chameleon	158
Octopus	159
Horcruxes	160
Conclusion	161
Chapter 6: Educational Potentials And Implications for Practice	164
The Potential Of Social Media For Learning and Development	165
Educating For Digital Identities	167
Reputation and Rules	167
The Importance Of Reflection	172
Resetting One’s Relationship With Social Media	176
On Authenticity, Being Genuine, And Being Vulnerable	180
Helping Students Navigate Digitized Development	184
Understanding The Technology	185
Discussions Across Generational Lines	186
The Positive Effects Of Social Media	188
Conclusion	191
Chapter 7: Conclusion	193
Findings and Interpretations	195
Digital Identities And Digitized Development	197
Digital Identities	197
Digitized Development	205
Digitized selfhood	208
Summary	211
Limitations	213
Implications for Practice	214
A Future Research Agenda	217
Conclusion	220
References	223
Appendices
Appendix A: Interview Survey	237
Appendix B: Interview 1 Protocol	238
Appendix C: Observation Protocol	240
Appendix D: Interview 2 Protocol	242

SUPPLEMENTAL  MATERIALS

MY DISSERTATION DEFENSE VIDEO:

MY DISSERTATION DEFENSE SLIDES:

AN EXTENDED PRESENTATION OF MY RESULTS:

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If you’re interested in how my dissertation evolved over time you can compare it to what I defended during my Proposal Hearing.

MY PROPOSAL DEFESNSE VIDEO:

MY PROPOSAL DEFESNSE SLIDES:

VIDEO PRESENTATION OF MY PRELIMINARY RESULTS: