Social Media and Migration Research
Elaine Lebon-McGregor & Melissa Siegel
#2013-068
The use of internet technologies in daily life has risen dramatically in
recent years, increasing researchers' interest in how social media such
as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are changing social realities and
potentially facilitating innovative research methodologies. As
technology and migration are considered prominent drivers of the
globalization processes, the increasing interest of migration
researchers is unsurprising. Nevertheless, given the relative youth of
research in this field, approaches to the topic differ. By taking a step
back and viewing the literature from a wide range of disciplines, this
paper provides a broad overview of the current state of research on
migration and social media in four key areas: 1) the use of social media
to trigger and facilitate migration in both positive (networks) and
negative ways (human trafficking); 2) the role of social media and
migrant integration; 3) the use of social media in diaspora engagement;
and 4) the use of social media in conducting migration research. This
paper adds to the literature by being the first systematic review of the
topic.
Key words: Social Media, Migration Research, Social Networking Sites,
Diaspora Engagement, Integration, Facilitation of Migration
JEL Classification: F22, O15, O33, L86, L82, Q55