Public Release: 

New technology to provide insights into the health of students

University of Notre Dame

Cellphones, any parent can attest, play a central role in the lives of college students. Studies show that nearly all college students own a cellphone, and most of those students use text messaging as their main form of communication. Researchers from the University of Notre Dame used the centrality of cellphones in college students' lives to delve deep into students' usage habits and how their social networks affect their everyday lives.

Results from the recently completed three-year study, dubbed "NetSense," provide a broader understanding of how technology is embedded in students' lives as they transition from teenagers to young adults.


Some of the key research findings from NetSense:




The networks featured varied religious affiliations including Catholics, non-Catholics and "nones." Despite the stereotype that college-age students are tuning out of group settings and focusing on their cellphones, they are keeping their network informed of items of interest that are happening in the group they're currently in.

While the size of a student's social network is fairly stable, the network's composition changes periodically.



The study will seek to answer questions such as: Is physical activity a factor in how friendships are formed? Do social circles influence a person's health and fitness choices?

With the NetSense study completed and NetHealth underway, the researchers are hoping to conduct future studies on the impact of social networks on people's physical and emotional well-being.

