Abstract

International Graduate Students (IGS) are an integral part of the United States (US) higher education ecosystem. However, they face enormous challenges while transitioning to the US due to cultural shock, language barriers, and intense academic pressure. These issues can cause poor mental health, and in some cases, increased risk of self-harm. The relative ease of access and ubiquity of social technology have the potential for supporting IGS during socio-cultural transitions. However, little is known about how IGS use social technology for seeking support. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study with the IGS in Western Massachusetts to understand how they seek social support. Our preliminary findings indicate that our participants preferred seeking informational and network support through social technology. They expressed that they preferred to seek emotional support in-person and from their close contacts but we found a latent pattern that shows they use technology passively (e.g, following others posts, comments, etc). We also found that over time, their support-seeking preference changes from people of similar ethnicity to people with similar experiences. Finally, we identified language as the primary barrier to actively seek any kind of support through technology.