Media influence on migration expectations: Experiences of Sub-Saharan Black African students

Abstract

<p>This study explored the mass media's influence on Sub-Saharan Black African Students (SBAS) to migrate to the US. The research involved interviews with 12 Iowa State University students to find out how media platforms (television and social media) shape SBAS' expectations and experiences of life in the US. It also examined the influence of media on their decision to migrate and further investigated how television and social media facilitated their integration into American society. The study found that the participants significantly used television more than social media as a source of information to create initial images about the economic condition of their target nation. Social media, given its level of interactivity compared to television, emerged as a preferred medium for confirmation of conditions in the target nation to further ground their decisions on migration. Furthermore, social media was extensively used as a means of integration into the American society. The results from this study address how university offices in the US can facilitate the migration and integration processes of international students from the home country to the resident nation.</p>