Instant Messaging on Campus: Use and Integration in University Students' Everyday Communication

Abstract

This article reviews the body of research on the use and role of instant messaging (IM) in campus life, and how IM is a key part of university students' communication. IM is a synchronous form of communication, and its speed, availability information, and support for multiple conversations have made it appealing for young people. With university students, in particular, showing a heavy reliance on IM, researchers have shown great interest in how university students use IM and how it is integrated in their social and academic life. While studies are emerging in various disciplines, no attempt has been made to integrate the disparate findings and approaches. This article synthesizes key findings, provides a map of the literature, and discusses conceptual problems inherent in the study of IM and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) that will help researchers identify key areas of study and opportunities for future investigation.

Keywords:

• academic work
• computer-mediated communication (CMC)
• information and communication technologies (ICTs)
• instant messaging (IM)
• Internet
• multitasking
• social change
• social networks
• social relationships
• university students

Research underlying this chapter was supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and a Faculty of Information and Media Studies Internal Research Grant. This article has benefited from the advice and editorial assistance of Jessica L. Collins, Jeren Balayeva, and Michael Robert Brundin. I also thank two anonymous reviewers and Harmeet S. Sawhney for their invaluable comments.

Notes

1. Avatar in IM is the image, symbol, or character that represents an individual in the IM window.