Introduction

Research Paper

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Research Paper

Research problem

The kinds of consequences that social networking sites have on the academic performance of college students

Introduction

The purpose of this research will be to find out if there is any relationship between the usage of social networking sites among college students and their academic performance. The study will be based on the usage of the social networking applications and the impacts on the social and linguistic behavior of the college students.

Background of Research

Social networking sites have lately been engaging students on a high level, and it should, therefore, be investigated as a distributor of information. The usage and importance of the internet have evolved with the applications used. The presence of social networks has expanded the nature of online environments. While being able to connect through social networks began as a niche activity, it is now a phenomenon. E-learning is a crucial tool for teachers and their learners currently (Rithika & Selvaraj, 2013). Online social networking sites are used for learning through engaging students, hence the need to study them as distributors of information. Some of the ways that social networking sites are used are chatting, forming online communities and blogging. As a result, today, the world celebrates the improvements that have been done in communication technology that have broadened the scope of communication done through information and communication technologies (Mehmood & Taswir, 2013). Just like two sides of a coin technology has both positive and negative impacts especially to learners.

Literature Review

In the past many years, the increase of the use of social networking sites has become a global phenomenon. The habit may have started out as a hobby for some people who were computer literate, but it became a way of life and a social norm for people all over the world (Mehmood & Taswir, 2013). Mostly teenagers and the young adults have embraced the use of social media sites to connect with their peers, showcasing their social lives, reinventing their personalities and sharing information even during learning. As opposed to the older generations who rely mostly on newspapers and televisions for their source of news and entertainment, the young people use the internet for most of their daily activities. According Chowdary AND Al-Shamaa (2015), approximately 90% of the teens in the United States have access to the internet. Half of the teens who have access to the internet, use it for social networking sites.

According to ES Dr (2016), performance is the clear demonstration of understanding, skills, concepts, idea and skills and the knowledge of a person. Grades are therefore used on colleges to show the performance of a student. Efficient management of the academic performance of students is, therefore, critical with the incorporation of the factors that positively and negatively impact their educational performance (Chowdary & Al-Shamaa, 2015). The use of technology is one of the critical factors that influence educational performance of college students, positively or negatively.

According to a study done by Fori (2016), the time spent on a social networking site does not have a correlation with the grade of the student. The use of social networking sites for the current college students is just a part of their daily routine because they have grown up in a technology era. Gurpinar, Alimoglu, Mamakli and Aktekin (2010) however stated that the students who multitasked between completing homework and being on social networking sites are more likely to have 20% lower grades. Fori (2016) agrees that even the habit of running a social networking site in the background as a student is using a personal computer to study is more likely to lower the grade of the student.

Various studies such as those conducted by Gurpinar, Alimoglu, Mamakli, Aktekin (2010) and Mehmood and Taswir (2013) have given recommendations that there is a great need for teacher and parental monitoring of student’s use of social networking sites. The continual use of social networking sites for students has continued to bring challenges for the professionals of higher education. Keeping abreast of the challenges and issues is proving to be problematic due to the speed at which new technologies are being discovered (Rithika and Selvaraj (2013).

This study ventures into the social networking sites and the impacts they have on the academic needs of college students. In this study, social networking sites will be considered in an educational context because they are a part of a virtual learning environment. The designs of classrooms are changing daily, and since there is rampant use of social networking sites for addressing learning needs, it is a fact that the use of social networks by students is imperative in this study.

Methodology

The research will be analytical research, and the data will be collected through the use of a questionnaire that is structured distributed in a cross-sectional survey. The design of the research is regarded as analytical because information and facts that are available will be compiled, used and evaluated critically to form a hypothesis. Even small details will be used to form major assumptions on the impact of the use of social networking sites in the academic performance of the students.

Population

The target population for the study will be college students from various universities, pursuing bachelors program. The population will consist of students from both genders, and race, ethnicity, religion and social class will not be used as factors of inclusion.

Sampling

The sample will be approximately 10 participants. The process of sampling will be through purposive sampling technique. A particular category or group from the target population will be selected to form the sample, because the category will be considered to mirror the whole population, in reference to the characteristic in question.

The theory of Uses and gratification will be used to determine the ways in which the students make use of social networking sites to fulfill certain gratifications. The theory makes the assumption that the members of the audience are not passive and they take an active role in using social networking sites or the media in their lives (Gurpinar, Alimoglu, Mamakli & Aktekin, 2010). The audiences hold the responsibility of choosing the media that they feel fulfills their needs. The main assumption of the theory used for sampling is that the students use the social networking sites for certain gratifications. The theory then suggests that the use of the social networking sites competes against other sources of information for the gratification of the users.

Variables

The following variables will be selected:

· The independent variable will be the social networking sites (SNS)

· The dependent variable will be the students

References

Chowdary, R. L., & Al-Shamaa, S. (2015). Impact of social networking sites on academic performance of international students in Auckland, New Zealand. Online J Comm Media, 1, 7-15.

ES Dr, K. (2016). THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING ON STUDENTS’ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: THE PERSPECTIVE OF FACULTY MEMBERS OF PERIYAR UNIVERSITY, SALEM.

Fori, E. (2016). The Effects of Social Networking Sites on the Academic Performance of the Engineering Students in the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. International Journal of Computer Science Issues (IJCSI), 13(1), 76.

Gurpinar, E., Alimoglu, M. K., Mamakli, S., & Aktekin, M. (2010). Can learning style predict student satisfaction with different instruction methods and academic achievement in medical education?. Advances in Physiology Education, 34(4), 192-196.

Mehmood, S., & Taswir, T. (2013). The effects of social networking sites on the academic performance of students in college of applied sciences, Nizwa, Oman. International Journal of Arts and Commerce, 2(1), 111-125.

Rithika, M., & Selvaraj, S. (2013). Impact of social media on student’s academic performance. International Journal of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Perspective, 2(4), 636-640.