Investigating UK academics’ professional social media use: a qualitative analysis using the lenses of digital literacy, UTAUT and the concept of boundary work

The integration of social media platforms in academic processes at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is on the rise. Currently, digital literacy development programmes focus on increasing academics’ engagement with platforms and little attention is given to well-being associated with digital disengagement leading to increasing workloads and the blur between personal and professional boundaries. Even so, it is not clear Why and how academics negotiate boundaries related to their professional social media use? What affects academics’ decision-making about their intentions to use or not to use social media? Why and how do academics learn to use social media professionally? and Which digital competencies do academics require to make decisions about engagement and disengagement with social media? The present study addressed these questions, in the context of Teaching & Learning and Networking & Public Engagement, through a qualitative mixed-method research design comprising six virtual focus groups (n=35) and one online survey (n=172).

The findings of the present study show academics’ dynamic engagement in boundary work when they make decisions about their engagement and disengagement with social media. Academics negotiated boundaries with students, colleagues, support staff, external experts, the public, other academics, activists, research communities and industries. Key challenges appeared to be associated with the predominant ambivalent beliefs about technology and resulted in academics’ complexities to understand and manage ethical and identity dilemmas. Their decisions were infused with social influences and affective reactions that appeared to lead to paradoxical experiences and potential negative consequences (e.g., stress, anxiety and exceeding cognitive capacities) for their well-being. Therefore, it seems important for academics to learn to use social media through the building of digital competencies provided by the novel contribution of the TeSEmo Digital Competency Framework that may enable and support academics’ holistic decision-making about their engagement and disengagement with platforms towards sustainable development and maintenance of their well-being.