10-1 Final Project: Submission
Running head: HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 1
HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE 3
How social Media Affects Academic Performance
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Findings
The research has concluded that social media influences the how students perform in school. Students who are on social media often perform poorly than those who don’t have access to social media networks. According to Abbas et al. (2019), social media often consume much of their time and concentration at the expense of academic work like reading or doing research. As Hou et al. (2019) state, social media is so much addictive that students may spend close to three to four hours browsing or chatting with their friends. As a result, little time and efforts are often dedicated to their academic work leading to poor performance. Additionally, Talaue et al. (2018) also support this idea by stating that social media also leads to academic burnout. Academic burnout is a state in which students get fatigued as a result of overspending their time on time on social media. Academic burnout is dangerous because it often limits the ability of learners to study or undertake their research. Hou et al. (2019) researched the students who access media platforms and their reasons for accessing social media sites. From a sample size of 300 students, over 97% of the students confirmed that they access social media for communication or playing social media games. Only 2% of the students used social media for educational purposes. This research paints a clear picture of negative effects of social media on students. In the United States, Abbas et al. (2019), note that too much access on social media negatively affects the reading culture of the learners. Most students who use social media daily do not feel the urge to read or undertake research on their schoolwork. This negatively affects their academic performance in school. Moreover, Hou et al. (2019) also state that the majority of the students who overuse social media also have problems with their sleeping patterns. Sleep is one of the best ingredients for better performance. After school, Talaue et al. (2018) state that students need to have quality sleep that allows their brains to relax and meditate on their school works. It also allows the body to recover its lost energy in preparation for the task or studies ahead. However, social media affects the sleeping patterns of students. Students who spend many hours on the media usually have less sleep which ultimately affects their concentration in class. Abbas et al. (2019) state that less concentration minimizes the ability of the learners can retain in class. It affects how they can perform in their exams.
How this research fits with previous researches
As Hasnain et al. (2015) observe, social media use affects the concentration and ultimate performance of learners. In 2015, it was discovered that there is ‘social media pressure’ that affects the performance of students academically. As Al-Menayes (2015) states, the majority of students also feel the urge to be part of something, especially a peer organization. Therefore, social media groups give them an identity and a platform through which they can have fun and share ideas. This research concluded that social media pressure is detrimental to the performance of students. El-Badawy and Hashem (2015) support this idea by stating that this pressure makes students lose interest and focus on their studies. Students always need quality time to read and reflect on their studies. However, the research concluded that the majority of their free time is spent on their media with little effort being channeled to academic works. As Al-Menayes (2015) states, the problem of poor performance is due to less effort by students toward their studies which often makes them perform poorly.
The areas for future research
Abbas et al. (2019) state that future research will have to focus on how to help students utilize their social media platforms to improve their academic performances. It is almost impossible to ignore and completely cut off from social media platforms. Talaue et al. (2018) state that these platforms connect people, they are channels of disseminating information and they are also business platforms for the majority of people. Therefore, students should be empowered to fully utilize their social media platforms to undertake their academic research and also discuss academic works through the platforms. As Hou et al. (2019) state, schools should consider giving counsel to students on how best they can utilize social media for their academic benefits. This will prevent them from wasting too much time on things that do not add value to their studies.
Ethical Considerations for the research
The information collected from the research was mainly for educational purposes. The researchers ensured that they collected information regarding the social media and academic performance of the students. No private or personal information was collected from the researchers and the researchers were cautious to preserve their integrity and privacy. Secondly, the respondents were not forced to give information about their personal lives or how they utilize their social media time. Therefore, the information collected is a reflection of the consent from the respondents.
References
Abbas, J., Aman, J., Nurunnabi, M., & Bano, S. (2019).
The impact of social media on learning behavior for sustainable education: Evidence of students from selected universities in Pakistan. Sustainability, 11(6), 1683.
Al-Menayes, J. J. (2015).
Social media use, engagement and addiction as predictors of academic performance. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 7(4), 86-94.
El-Badawy, T. A., & Hashem, Y. (2015).
The impact of social media on the academic development of school students. International Journal of Business Administration, 6(1), 46.
Hasnain, H., Nasreen, A., & Ijaz, H. (2015, August).
Impact of social media usage on academic performance of university students. In 2nd International Research Management & Innovation Conference (IRMIC) (pp. 26-27).
Hou, Y., Xiong, D., Jiang, T., Song, L., & Wang, Q. (2019).
Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology: Journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace, 13(1).
Talaue, G. M., AlSaad, A., AlRushaidan, N., AlHugail, A., & AlFahhad, S. (2018).
The impact of social media on the academic performance of selected college students. International Journal of Advanced Information Technology, 8(4/5), 27-35.