Online community college students are among the fastest growing population in postsecondary education and make up the greatest dropout demographic (Hongwei, 2015). Understanding the causes can arrest and reverse the process, thereby demonstrating the overall of a community college education. Building upon theories of andragogy (Knowles, 1980), social constructivism (Bandura, 2001), and digital constructivism (Cowan, Neil, & Winter, 2013), this phenomenological qualitative study adds to the academic literature by documenting the influence of socio-academic engagement via popular social media applications on the online learning environment (OLE) in community college students enrolled in an online section of an introductory psychology course at a small community college in the Southeast. To obtain richly detailed lived experiences, students were given weekly assignments that required them use social media, then asked to complete an online questionnaire and participate in an online focus group. Subjects (N = 16) completed the online questionnaire and, of those subjects, half (n = 8) engaged in the online focus group. The following research questions guided this study: According to students' lived experiences, how does engagement via social media infused assignments (SMIAs): 1) enhance or diminish the OLE; 2) affect student acquisition of desired academic outcomes, and; 3) affect attrition in the OLE? A qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis was applied to subject responses. An inductive thematic process was used to identify emerging themes. The findings suggest subjects felt the use of SMIAs in the OLE was beneficial in increasing engagement, communication, and interaction between all parties, decreasing feelings of isolation and aloneness. Although the small sample size was ideal for obtaining rich lived experience of the research subjects, a larger sample size in the future would allow for greater variation in demographics and lived experience. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]