Abstract. Capitalization, the process of sharing positive events to savor and relive positive moments, brings intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits to the sharer. In students' academic lives, academic achievements represent significant positive events that offer opportunities for capitalization. With the rise of social media, capitalizing on academic achievements has transitioned from traditional face-to-face interactions to digital platforms, where students increasingly share and celebrate their achievements. Given the significance of capitalization for well-being and the scarcity of research in this area, this study seeks to advance the understanding of the significance of capitalization within the context of a student's academic achievements and social media. Specifically, it aims to explore the practice of academic achievement capitalization on social media by examining the reasons for using these platforms, the motivations driving this practice, and the associated outcomes. Utilizing a qualitative exploratory research design, one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten college students who frequently capitalize on their academic achievements. Content analysis of the interviews revealed that social media features are instrumental in facilitating the capitalization of academic achievements. Moreover, the study identified five key motivations driving this behavior: seeking validation, self-presentation, inspiring others, seeking support, and emotional expression. Consistent with existing research on capitalization, students experience predominantly positive outcomes, both interpersonal and intrapersonal, from sharing their academic achievements on social media, highlighting how digital platforms and capitalization help maximize the positive impact of these experiences. The findings provide an understanding of how and why students celebrate and showcase their academic achievements on social media, emphasizing how the capitalization of these achievements and the social media responses they receive influence their personal and social well-being.

Keywords: Academic achievements; Capitalization; Positive events; Social media.