Social media and pupils’ academic performance: A case of selected secondary schools in Lusaka District, Zambia

Abstract

Social media is a collective term for websites and applications focusing on communication, community-based input, interaction, content-sharing, and collaboration. People use social media to stay in touch and interact with friends, family, and various communities. Today, social media has been commonly used by everyone, especially young people and schools are getting into this modern medium of communication rapidly. However, social media has dragged youngsters, especially pupils into it to the extent that it fritters away their valuable time meant for studies, energy, and money. From this background, the study was conducted to examine the effects of social media on pupils’ academic performance in secondary schools in the Lusaka district, Zambia. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods and a descriptive survey design that sampled head teachers, teachers, pupils, and parents. Data was obtained from the respondents by means of interviews and questionnaires. Frequency tables, graphs, figures, and pie charts were used to analyze the qualitative and quantitative data. Data was also analyzed by the use of software; Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 26) and Microsoft Excel (version 16). The study discovered that social media has facilitated an easy and economical way of communication between friends and families worldwide. Additionally, the study showed that social media is a valuable source of information, providing pupils with access to educational content, news, and resources that can enhance their learning. However, social media on the other hand was seen to be a significant distraction for pupils, diverting their attention away from studying, assignments, and other academic responsibilities. Also, late-night social media browsing can lead to sleep deprivation, which, in turn, can impair cognitive functioning and academic performance. The study therefore recommended that there is a need to encourage pupils to use social media for educational purposes only, such as group projects or discussions related to course content. Furthermore, there is a need to guide and support pupils in managing their time effectively and avoiding social media-related distractions.