The Impact of Social Media on Academic Performance of the Students of Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

The advent of information and communication technology is being celebrated today in the whole world. It has become part of everyday life. This modern technology in no doubt has turned the whole world into a Global village. The study aimed at examining the influence of social media on academic performance of students of tertiary institution in Edo State. In other to measure social media platforms a questionnaire was developed based on past literatures. A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 300 students assessing the impact of teachers influence, school environment and motivation on performance in Students of tertiary institution in Edo State. The data collected are presented in tables and analysed using mean and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions. The influence of social media on the student’s academic achievement in students of tertiary institution in Edo State was categorized using mean ratings; 0- 1.5 = low level of influence; 1.6-2.5 = moderate level of influence; and 2.6- 4.0 = high level of influence. Findings revealed that students of tertiary institution in Edo State school employ social media platforms for various purposes, including establishing new social connections, engaging in conversations with existing friends, conducting research for academic assignments and educational resources, staying informed about contemporary trends and news, collaborating with classmates on group projects, and exploring potential academic pathways for their future endeavours. The frequency of social media usage does not exert a statistically significant impact on the academic performance of students in the field of Students of tertiary institution in Edo State. The frequency of social media usage by students does not have a substantial impact on their average academic performance in the field of Students of tertiary institution in Edo State. Hence, there is no significant variation in the average academic performance in the field of Students of tertiary institution in Edo State among students, irrespective of the frequency with which they engage in social media usage. The study recommends that the monitoring and management of students’ social media usage by teachers and parents is necessary to mitigate the detrimental impact on their academic performance in the field of students of tertiary institution in Edo State, as the beneficial utilisation of social media platforms has been shown to boost teaching and learning.