Profiles, Not Stereotypes: Unpacking Online Risk and Discrimination Among Transitioning College Students 

By Paola Galiano

Following the post-COVID period, transitioning back into in-person education for the current generation of college students was neither easy nor seamless. The simple observation— of course it wasn’t. However, this transition proved far more difficult than expected, especially when considering the critical disruption of social interaction during emerging adulthood. 

Picture this: A group of high-school seniors is hanging out on the Friday before graduation. They are mere weeks away from moving into college or sitting down and figuring out their commuting routes. They are Snapchatting their new roommates, scouring TikTok for tips about how to get the best parking spot on campus, or canvasing Instagram for new friends. In just a few weeks, their lives will be totally different. This period, accordingly, has been associated with risk-taking across a range of adverse health behaviors, raising public health concerns about college students’ academic adjustment, substance use, and sexual health. 

The widespread use of social media and other digital technologies that have transformed social interaction during college years raises another concern: exposure to discrimination, particularly based on race. Online exposure to racial discrimination can have a profound impact on the mental health and academic adjustment of Black and Latine students, groups of students who face notable dropout and health risk rates. Social media platforms feature news coverage of racist and discriminatory policies that are consistently being pushed out to such students, without any monitoring or filtering of harmful comments or content.     

The picture gets more complicated. Our canvas is emerging adulthood in the post-COVID period, which has been revolutionized by social media engagement. On our canvas, we have the interplay of risk-taking behaviors and discrimination as they relate to college adjustment, binge drinking, marijuana use, and unprotected sex. A study at Fordham University used a person-centered approach to construct behavior clusters, aiming to represent specific types of students who reflect diverse experiences. To create these profiles, three respective criteria were analyzed: online positive risk-taking behaviors (such as anti-racism actions and coping with racism), negative risk-taking actions (such as antisocial behavior and problematic internet use), and exposure to online racial discrimination.

As expected by these researchers, most students reported moderate levels of both positive and negative risks. The social media landscape provides a space for positive anti-racism risk-taking and coping actions among Black and Latine emerging adults. As a result, these online activities empower them to develop positive affirmations about their identities, connect with others, seek support, and combat oppression. The social media landscape also unfortunately perpetuates negative behaviors, jeopardizing college adjustment and increasing substance use and sexual risk behaviors. 

The four profiles that emerged from this analysis demonstrated the complexity and diversity of Black and Latine student experiences. Positive and negative risk-taking behaviors and exposure to online discrimination coexist in different proportions and among distinct groups. In one profile, high binge drinking was found alongside anti-racism coping actions. Perhaps most striking is the paradox that positive anti-racism actions did not always protect students. Instead, they sometimes co-occurred with  increased exposure to discrimination, problematic internet use, and antisocial behaviors. Probable implications are numerous. For example, the perpetration of online hate could escalate other conflicts, contributing to heightened emotional distress and actions that attempt to cope, like binge drinking. 

Now, our canvas is littered with stickers, Post-it notes, and a whole host of data for a more in-depth discussion. Important here is the study’s highlighting of the need to understand that no group of people is uniform or identical. There is a stunning diversity in the experiences of individuals, and profile creation is a tool used to capture the unique interplay of variables within a group. This finding has significant implications for college counseling efforts that aim to assist college students in transitioning into higher education. These counseling efforts should actively work to understand online anti-racism and antisocial risk behaviors to provide culturally relevant and personalized support. 

Reference:

Park, Y. W., Tao, X., & Fisher, C. B. (2025). Exposure to online racial discrimination, anti-racism, antisocial risk-taking: Associations with college adjustment and health risks among Black and Latine students. Journal of American college health : J of ACH, 1–12. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2025.250383