第一吃瓜网

第一吃瓜网 student Sakura Hamazaki ’20 (第一吃瓜网/Keith Walters ’11)

“Personal relationships matter,� says Meredith Harrigan, professor of communication at 第一吃瓜网. A new study by Harrigan and five 第一吃瓜网 undergraduates published in the Journal of Applied Communication Research found that college students are preparing for the future by investing in relationships and leveraging the 渇ear of missing out,� or FoMO, as a reminder to seize the day.

淪tudents want to feel connected and that they belong. That was very obvious in our research,� Harrigan says. 淲hat was surprising, however, was learning that students understand that their friendships aren檛 just beneficial in-the-moment, but that they檒l have an effect on their emotional well-being long into the future攂ecause of this, they often prioritize friendships during their college years.�

For their article, “,” students in Harrigan’s class on theories of interpersonal communication conducted a series of 35 interviews. They found that emerging adults are challenging traditional ideas of where and how they invest their time.

淲e didn檛 find that students don檛 care about academics攖hey do,� Harrigan says. 淚t檚 just that personal relationships rank a little higher over academics for many in the iGeneration. They may choose the relational piece of college life because they believe that aspect of their well-being is more important in their preparation for the future than, say, learning a particular academic theory.�

FoMO

Given the importance of personal relationships, it is not surprising that the fear of missing out, colloquially known as FoMO, has become a ubiquitous experience for college-age individuals. Although the feeling of missing out is not new, the use of social media to show in real-time what檚 being missed has heightened awareness of it as a social phenomenon. It is not enough to simply turn off phones for this creates another layer of FoMO.

Harrigan points out that scholars have linked FoMO to adverse effects, including stress, anxiety, and sleep issues. Adding the expected stresses of college life攏ew challenges, personal exploration, and intellectual growth攃ould theoretically exacerbate FoMO檚 negative impact. And yet, the interviews that Harrigan檚 class conducted suggest that FoMO isn檛 having detrimental effects on students.

淭he students we interviewed argued that FoMO was a good thing because it reminded them what matters,� Harrigan says. 淲hen they were experiencing FoMO攃hecking social media while studying alone in the library and seeing posts of their friends having fun at a party攊t makes them think, 楬uh. Maybe I should go because that might be more important for me.櫇 FOMO is a prompt to get out and experience life as it檚 happening.

Harrigan notes that academics like her might not like to hear that, 渂ut when we frame it as carpe diem敇I want to be emotionally healthy, and I can do things today to help ensure I have a future that檚 regret-free檾that檚 logical,� she says. 淎nd it provides an understanding of why they are making the decisions to live in-the-moment, perhaps, more than we did.�

Adjusting Course

淪tudents don檛 have to choose between personal relationships and academics,� Harrigan says. 听Learning that students are prioritizing relationships to help them lead happy lives, professors can adjust their courses to meet students� needs and sustain intellectual and academic goals.

淲e tend to frame relational or self-care aspects of college life as co-curricular rather than incorporating them into our coursework,� Harrigan explains. One example of that incorporation would be to 淪o even though they檙e doing technical work, they still have documentation of the people in their group and a visual memory to look back on.�

Harrigan says that if college professors and teachers can find ways to do blend the social aspect of college with the academics攖o meet students where they are and help them grow intellectually攊t檚 an acknowledgment of their students� prioritizing to focus on emotional preparation. 淪tudents shouldn檛 have to choose between going out with friends to create memories or doing their coursework,� she says. 淲e can find techniques to reposition them in a way that prepares the whole self for a productive future.�

Coauthors on the study are Iris Benz �19, Christopher Hauck �19, Rachel Renders �19, Stephanie Roney �19, all communication听majors, and Emily LaRocca �19 who double majored in communication听and international relations.

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