국립 부경대학교

‘COVID-19 Strengthens Internet Social Networks Among Black College Students in the U.S.’

- Research Findings by Professor Lee Eun of Pukyong National University

A study has found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reciprocity of internet social networks among Black college students in the U.S., who expressed feelings of depression, has been strengthened.

Professor Lee Eun (Department of Scientific Computing) at Pukyong National University has published the paper titled ‘Internet-Based Social Connections of Black American College Students in Pre-COVID-19 and Peri-COVID-19 Pandemic Periods: Network Analysis’ as the lead author in the latest issue of the international journal <Journal of Medical Internet Research> (IF 5.8).

Professor Lee Eun’s research team investigated and studied the differences in social networking characteristics on Twitter(now X) among students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCU) in the U.S. before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the findings presented in this paper.

The research team divided college students into depression-related and non-depression-related groups, quantifying structural attributes such as reciprocity, homogeneity, and community to analyze the differences in internet-based socialization patterns between the groups. The study collected data and performed statistical analysis on 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities with active Twitter followers.

The study found that during the pandemic, the group that posted depression-related content experienced an increase in reciprocal internet-based relationships and a rise in the average number of friends. They also showed stronger bonds with members of other depression-related groups.

The group without depression-related posts showed strengthened internet-based relationships with other users who shared the same physical affiliation. An increase in the alignment between internet-based relationships and offline relationships was also observed.

The research team found that while both groups saw an increase in the number of friends during the pandemic, the depression-related group showed a statistically significant increase in reciprocity and homophily (the tendency to make friends within the same group), while the group not related to depression showed a decrease in both reciprocity and homophily.

Professor Lee Eun stated, “Through the findings of this study, understanding the internet-based social behaviors of minority groups, such as Black college students in the U.S., can help recognize behaviors of seeking social support during stressful times and assist in developing measures to support mental health.”