Published Paper Details:

Over the past decade, the rapid spread of social media has fundamentally changed tourism education. It has reshaped not only how students learn but also how they communicate and build their professional identities. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence on the role of social media in the lives and learning of tourism students. Drawing on social constructivist theory, digital identity frameworks, and media learning approaches, it synthesizes literature published between 2022 and 2025 to explore how digital platforms affect students' academic engagement, emotional well-being, and career preparation. The review brings together insights from more than twenty recent scholarly studies and organizes the main findings into three closely connected areas of impact: o Cognitive and academic engagement through interactive digital environments; o Socio-emotional effects arising from online interaction and the curation of digital identities; o Professional development through digital self-presentation and networked learning opportunities. The analysis is informed by foundational theories, including Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, Vygotsky's Social Constructivism, and Goffman's Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, which help explain how students behave and develop within online tourism education spaces. The findings show that social media can significantly boost motivation, support collaborative learning, and provide valuable industry exposure. At the same time, it introduces important challenges, including digital fatigue, unhealthy self-comparison, and superficial forms of engagement. The paper concludes by proposing a conceptual model that captures the cyclical relationship between social media use, cognitive engagement, emotional mediation, and professional identity formation. It highlights the critical moderating roles played by digital literacy and institutional support. This synthesis adds to the growing conversation about digital transformation in tourism education. It underlines the importance of thoughtfully integrating social media into teaching practices, alongside training in emotional intelligence and ethical online behavior. The review offers practical insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers working to develop tourism curricula that are both resilient and well-adapted to the digital age.