Creating an Awareness of the Risk Associated with Using Social Media by Individuals Visiting, Migrating, or Immigrating to Foreign Countries

Mike Reddy

doi:10.25159/2663-6549/19849

Authors

Mike Reddy University of Zululand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8861-4159

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6549/19849

Keywords:

dangers, social media, migrants, immigrants, foreign countries

Abstract

Many individuals visit, migrate or immigrate to another country for various reasons with the hope of meeting a specific need. These needs may range from studying, employment, better healthcare, and a lower crime rate in those countries, etc. Most individuals who migrate to foreign countries currently communicate with family, friends, and loved ones using social media. However, migrants need to be aware of the potential risks associated with social media when it is misused. Inappropriate use of social media can lead to individuals being fired, a visa revoked, and even being deported. Therefore, in order to be aware of the risk, migrants and immigrants need to be aware of the risk of inappropriate use of social media and what the social media laws are in the countries they reside in. This paper aims to create an awareness of the risk of using social media by migrants living in foreign countries. The author recommends that recruitment companies create more awareness on digital platforms to warn prospective clients and immigrants of the dangers associated with the use of social media. They should play a more effective role in the infiltration and identification of websites that are deemed fraudulent. The author uses secondary sources such as journal articles, websites, books, and magazines as part of his research methodology. Inappropriate use of social network sites by visitors, migrants, and immigrants can lead to their visas being revoked, applications being rejected, and even deportation based on the offence seen by the host country. Therefore, as a recommendation, workshops and online courses should highlight the consequences of the inappropriate use of social media.

References

Amedie Jacob. 2015. “The Impact f Social Media on Society.” Writing: Pop Culture Intersections. Pp. 1-19. https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=engl_176. Accessed on 12 June 2022.

Bischof, Jackie. 2019. “The US Just Added One More Requirement For Visa Applicants To Stress About.” Quartz. Downloaded from https://qz.com/1633061/us-visa-applications-will-now-include-social-media-screening/. Accessed on 11 July 2022.

Britannica. 2022. “Facebook.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/open-source. Accessed on 19 July 2022.

Chaffey, D. 2025. “Global Social Media Statistics Research Summary.” https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/. Accessed on the 30 November 2025.

Datareportal. 2022. “Global Social Media Statistics.” https://datareportal.com/social-media-users. Accessed on the 11 July 2022.

Diakun, Anna and DeCell Carrie.2022. “Why Is The U.S. Still Probing Foreign Visitors’ Social Media Accounts?” The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/04/26/social-media-surveillance-us-visas-state/. Accessed on the 18 July 2022.

Dewing, Michael. 2012. “Social Media: An Introduction. Library of Parliament.” Pp.1- https://bdp.parl.ca/staticfiles/PublicWebsite/Home/ResearchPublications/InBriefs/PDF/2010-03-e.pdf. Accessed on the 8 June 2022.

Frissell, Elizabeth. 2020. “The Dangers of Social Media and The Stoic Solution.” International Journal of Theology, Philosophy and Science 7. 4. :80-88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26520/ijtps.2020.4.7.80-88

George Daniel R., Ravia, Liza S and Kraschnewski. 2013. “Dangers And Opportunities For Social Media In Medicine.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863578/. Accessed on the 11 July 2022.

HeartInternet. 2022. “How Did We Communicate Before Social Media? Past & Present) Web Communication Trends.” https://www.heartinternet.uk/blog/how-did-we-communicate-before-social-media-past-present-web-communication-trends/. Accessed on 11 July 2022.

InVideo .2022. “13 Types of Social Media You Should Be Using in 2022.” https://invideo.io/blog/types-of-social-media/. Accessed on the 11 July 2022.

Jauhiainen, J.S. and Tedeschi, M. 2021. “Internet And Social Media Use Of Undocumented Migrants. In Undocumented Migrants And Their Everyday Lives: The Case Of Finland.” 149-163. Cham: Springer International Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68414-3_6

Lahoud, Raymond G. 2022. “Immigrants are Falling Prey to Social Media.” https://www.natlawreview.com/article/immigrants-are-falling-prey-to-social-media. Accessed on the 11 July 2022.

Mayville University. 2011. “The Evolution of Social Media: How Did It Begin, and Where Could It Go Next?” https://online.maryville.edu/blog/evolution-social-media/. Accessed on the 15 July 2022.

Mayfield III, Thomas D. 2011. “A Commanders Strategy for Social Media.” 60, 1st Quarter. Pp. 79-83. https://indianstrategicknowledgeonline.com/web/mayfield_strat_for_soc_media.pdf. Accessed on the 11 July 2022.

Manya Group. 2022. “Social Media Screening for USA Student Visa Applications.” Downloaded from https://www.manyagroup.com/blog/social-media-screening-for-usa-student-visa-applications/.

Majka, Tyler. 2018. “The Dangers of Social Media Regarding Domestic Terrorism.”

Oyewole, Olawale, Oladeji, Roselyn Olatoun, Anenene, Ese Eunice and Akinbo, Olaide 2015. “Undergraduates’ Awareness and Attitude towards the Potential Dangers of Social Media Use in University of Ibadan, Nigeria.” Research Journal of Mass Communication and Information Technology 1(8) 35-44.

Prokurat, Sergiusz. 2014. “Work 2.0 And Social Media: Threats And Dangers. Consumer Protection - Selected Issues of the Information Safety.” Alcide De Gasperi University of Euroregional Economy in Józefów Publishing House. Pp. 145-158.

State College of Florida. http://www.strang3majik.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ PAD3821.pdf. pp.1-9.

Vinney, Cynthia. 2019. “What Is Uses and Gratifications Theory? Definition and Examples. ThoughtCO.” Downloaded from https://www.thoughtco.com/uses-and-gratifications-theory628333#:~:text=Uses%20and%20gratifications%20theory%20asserts,control%20over%20their%20media%20consumption. Accessed on the 10 June 2022.