MSc in New Media Application: Exploring Social Media's Impact on Volunteering and Building Meaningful Online Communities

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has created new spaces for interpersonal interactions and offline activities, but it has also diminished face-to-face emotional connection. My team employed a grounded theory approach to investigate the impact of social media on interpersonal relationships in volunteerism, with me taking a leading role in conceptual categorization and theoretical model development. Our analysis revealed that relationships formed through social media among volunteers are often loose and fragile, hindering emotional connections and impacting their commitment to volunteering. The current landscape of social media usage is overly broad, leading to information overload and potential social burnout and anxiety. However, I believe that building a dedicated communication community for volunteers and service recipients could potentially improve this situation.

This research interest and pursuit at the intersection of social media and interpersonal relationships drive my application to the MSc in New Media program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). I believe this program will provide me with a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the influence of new media technologies on social interactions and develop innovative solutions to bridge the gap between online and offline communication. I am eager to collaborate with peers and mentors from around the world to advance the study of social media and interpersonal relationships, contributing to the construction of more meaningful and beneficial online environments.

CUHK's world-class teaching and research resources, coupled with its deep exploration of the new media domain, would offer me an ideal academic setting. I anticipate sharing ideas and knowledge with distinguished scholars and like-minded students, engaging in research projects and practical experiences. I sincerely hope to have the opportunity to join CUHK's MSc in New Media program and contribute positively to pushing the boundaries of social media research. Thank you for your time and consideration.