International students’ movement to the UK and their digital transition on social media

This study examines the relationship between international students’ movement and their digital transition on Twitter. By using the Twitter API, timelines for 17 Saudi students studying in the UK were retrieved. An in-depth qualitative content analysis for these accounts was conducted for a two year period, before and after their move. The study identified a transition in the students’ timelines on Twitter in terms of what they post. This was usually characterized by an increase in posts related to (1) the UK and international contexts and (2) academic and language topics. The analysis also revealed that social media can play a positive role by providing students with needed information and supporting them to develop their English language. This study successfully identified a form of digital transition on Twitter that students go through and highlighted the positive role of social media in the students’ overall transition experience. This research serves as a good foundation for future researchers interested in the transition and digital technologies or social media.