Exploring Trends and Research Hotspots in the Impact of Social Media on College Students: A Bibliometric Analysis

The influence of social media on university students is clear. However, there are no systematic bibliometric assessments of this impact. To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the impact of social media on university students, identifying key trends and collaboration patterns from 2007 to 2023.

Materials and Methods

Data from the Web of Science Core Collection was analyzed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace for keyword and collaboration network analysis. This bibliometric analysis reviewed 1,967 publications from 104 countries, noting a marked post-2017 increase in research. The United States and China were the major contributors. The study identified key research domains including "higher education", "Internet addiction", "mental health", and "media literacy", with increasing emphasis on "Fear of Missing Out" and "Digital Literacy". Publication trends depicted a transition from initial exploration to rapid growth, with significant output in "Computers in Human Behavior" and "Journal of American College Health". Additionally, the data highlighted prevalent international collaborations, particularly between the US and China. Future work needs to further investigate the psychosocial effects of social media and integrate cross-cultural insights, informing policies and applications amidst technological evolution.