Social networking and academic performance: A net benefits perspective

Abstract

The effects of social networking sites (SNS) use are especially significant for students, as they tend to be the most frequent and heavy users of such platforms. In this stream of work, prior research has documented the links between SNS use and academic performance; however, surprisingly, empirical evidence is inconclusive. Whereas previous research has largely tended to adopt a common perspective that examines the direct link between SNS use and academic performance, an alternative perspective is considered in this research. Specifically, the current research introduces and embeds the role of net benefits of SNS use in examining the link between SNS use and academic performance. Using a sample of college students (N = 169), this study suggests that net benefits of SNS use is positively linked to academic performance.