Page 150 - Never Too Far Away? The Roles of Social Network Sites in Sojourners’ Adjustment

The findings bear some insights that could be useful for formal support providers (e.g., counselors, school-based or community-based organizations, university offices or corporate departments that deal with international sojourners, scholarship grant providers, government institutions, etc.) in designing concerted programs and services for sojourners. For instance, programs should gear towards organizing activities that encourage enduring and meaningful face-to-face interactions and social activities between sojourners and host-country members. To facilitate this, training programs should be available for both sojourners and host-country members that promote greater communication and understanding (e.g., language learning, intercultural competence training, etc.). In relation to this, discussions about the implications of the use of SNS and other forms of CMC should be included in the programs and services for sojourners. Support providers must clarify when SNS could be beneficial for or detrimental to sojourners.
The models that were tested in this dissertation have predictive values that could be useful in anticipating possible extreme negative consequences of using SNS in dealing with sojourn-related social difficulties, such as homesickness. With these information, support providers and sojourners themselves are aware of the risks (e.g., online addiction) of relying on SNS to deal with homesickness. There should be counseling services, therapies or rehabilitation programs available for sojourners in relation to problematic SNS (or social media use). Hopefully, these results could also provide insights on the practical consequences of the use of other forms of computer-mediated communication among sojourners.
Finally, the findings of this dissertation could offer some insights relevant to governments and advocacy groups in advancing policies, programs, and campaigns on overseas work. Oftentimes, the impact of communication technology on sojourn experience is portrayed in a very optimistic and celebratory manner (Dekker & Engbersen, 2014; Diminescu, 2008; Hiller & Franz, 2004). In light of the findings of this dissertation, there is a need to step back and present a sober and more nuanced depiction of this medium. It is important to take a critical stance on the discursive narrative of a “connected migrant” (Diminescu, 2008; Leurs & Ponzanesi, 2018), and problematize how governments could capitalize on this portrayal to promote labor migration. Going abroad to pursue one’s personal goals could be an enriching experience. However, it becomes an issue when the government itself regards its citizens as export products (O’Neal, 2004). In some developing countries like the Philippines, remittances from overseas workers have become a crucial source of revenue (Rowley, 2017). It is therefore not surprising
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