Page 157 - Never Too Far Away? The Roles of Social Network Sites in Sojourners’ Adjustment

Concluding Remarks
With SNS, is home never too far away? The findings of this dissertation show that despite its promising features and affordances, SNS does not necessarily provide the feeling that one is close to home. SNS might make it easier to communicate, exchange information, maintain social contacts, but it does not necessarily make sojourners perceive family and friends from home as viable sources of support while in the host country. Moreover, SNS communication with significant others from the home country does not alleviate the longing for them. SNS interactions with friends in the host country might be helpful for those days that one feels homesick. However, this might not be beneficial in the long-run. On the contrary, the more that sojourners use SNS with the host-country network, the less supported they feel over time. This is not to say that SNS does not serve an important function. The use of SNS could be helpful in maintaining a sense of relational continuity that could ease their reintegration process in the home country. However, the findings of this dissertation underscore the importance of building and strengthening ties with the host-country network via (good old) face-to-face social interactions. Despite constant connectivity and other affordances that SNS offers, home is still miles away. Sojourners must deal with the situation of being far away from home for some time. This entails engaging in face-to-face social interactions, building meaningful relationships, and savoring social experiences in the host country– until it is time to go back home.
General Discussion 155