From Dorms to Cubicles: How Recent Graduates Communicate
Venue
48th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, IEEE (2015), pp. 2013-2022
Publication Year
2015
Authors
David Choi, Judy Chen, Stephanie Wu, Debra Lauterbach, Aruna Balakrishnan
BibTeX
Abstract
In a two-part field study, we studied the communication tool use of 29 college
students and 20 recent college graduates. In comparing the two groups’
communication choices, we explored how transitioning from attending college to
working full time impacts communication. We discuss how communication changes for
recent college graduates in terms of both the content of their conversations, as
well as the communication methods they use. We found that convenience plays a major
role in the adoption and usage of communication tools, with participants preferring
methods that were easily accessible at work, at home and in transit. We identify
life changes recent graduates experience as they transition into emerging
adulthood: the effect of being on a computer at work all day, changing social
circles and scenes, being geographically distant from friends and family, and the
desire for a professional persona. We discuss the impact of these changes on
communication.
