EFFECT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

 The Internet revolution altered the world of information in terms of sharing, speed, storage, and retrieval of data in any format regardless of the user's location. Numerous online technologies have arisen as a result of the Internet, and one technology that is creating waves in terms of information exchange and communication is social media networks.The age of the teacher as a repository of information has passed us by. The world is advancing at breakneck pace as a result of technological advancements. Notably, technology encompasses information and communication, which may be described as the manipulation and processing of data (texts, pictures, graphs, and instructions) for use with electrical and communication equipment such as computers, cameras, and telephones (Oleabhiele, 2015).

Social media's growth has impacted every area of society, both positively and negatively. Social media has altered and influenced communication, education, and research in general. Among the plethora of online communication tools accessible, social networking sites (SNS) have emerged as the most current and attractive means of linking people worldwide (Aghazamani, 2010). Davis et al. (2012) define social media technology (SMT) as "web- and mobile-based apps that enable individuals and organizations to produce, engage with, and share new or existing content in multi-way digital environments.Individuals and groups may use this platform to build profiles, share, and exchange information about their various activities and interests. A unique feature of social media is that it is not restricted to desktop or laptop computers, but can also be accessed via mobile applications and smart phones, making it extremely accessible and simple to use. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Whatsapp, Instagram, and blogs are just a few of the social media sites that provide both online and mobile applications. Communicating through the internet and social networking sites is very different from communicating in person. When users connect with one another via these services, they utilize features such as instant messaging (IM) and chatting, as well as status or Twitter updates, to communicate with one another and express themselves (Kaitlin, 2010). Additionally, Kaitlin (2010) asserts that social networking websites influence how we get information and news. The sites establish new gateways via which we may obtain information and expand the diversity of news channels.

Today's secondary school students' usage of social media (such as facebook, youtube, twitter, and whatsapp) is leading in widespread academic failure (David, 2014). This is because students nowadays spend more time socializing than they do conducting research or reading their books. A rising number of Nigerian experts agree that social media addiction has become a distracting technology in higher education, interfering with students' academic performance. Among the scholars is Oluwatoyin (2011), who conducted a survey of 1,860 Facebook users at Lagos State University and discovered that 90% of students were unable to achieve a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.50 or higher because they spent a greater proportion of their time on social media than on homework and study time (which could contribute to higher grade). As Al-Khalifa and Garcia (2013) point out, social media plays a range of functions in education, including offering a forum for the exchange of ideas and perspectives and enabling students to form their own communities to cooperate.

According to Ndaku (2013), students spend more time on social media sites than on academic pursuits, which has a negative effect on their academic achievement.

There have been several disputes on various platforms and media outlets over social media's effects on society, particularly on education. Several of these studies discovered a decline in students' grades and academic performance, as well as a lack of time for studies, as a result of their engagement in social media networks (Banquil et al, 2009; Kirschner and Karpinski, 2010; Ndaku, 2013). On the other side, Pasek et al. (2006) "said that a site-specific culture can have a good or negative effect on the development of social capital and discovered that Facebook usage is not connected with poorer student grades, but rather with higher student grades." Kolek and Saunders (2008) discovered no association between student users' GPAs and their use of social media platforms such as Facebook. Rather than that, social networking sites (SNS) facilitate interaction between students and professors (Ahmed & Qazi, 2011). As a result, this study will examine the effect of social media on students' academic achievement at the senior secondary level.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Since the development of social networking platforms in the 1990s, it is often considered that students' academic performance has been neglected and challenged. Between their social networking activities and their academic work, there is a diversion, a distraction, and a division of focus. Students are found to pay more attention to social media than to their coursework.

Students in secondary schools, notably in Delta State, are getting increasingly absorbed by their smartphones and computers. Social media provides the majority of students with Internet access, which has resulted in or impacted their academic performance. Students waste a lot of time on Facebook, instagram, tiktok, twitter, whatsapp, and youtube.

Many parents and guardians are concerned that their children are spending too much time on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms and are not getting enough study time. While parents are concerned about their children's continual usage of social networking sites, many pupils continue to do so on a daily basis. It is estimated that the average Nigerian adolescent spends around six to seven hours each day on the internet; some even stay up all night searching. When do they have time to read/research their books? According to the reviewed literature, users of social media spend between one and five hours per week studying, while non-users study between eleven and fifteen hours per week, and that the use of technology such as the internet is one of the most significant factors affecting students' educational performance positively or negatively ( (Kapinski & Kirschner, 2011).

A preliminary assessment and interviews with a few instructors and students indicated a number of issues associated with students' use of social media networks. These included a high prevalence of addiction among students, which interferes with their study time, improper use of language and spelling in social media conversation, and students being distracted from their academics. As such, this study will examine the effect  of social media on students' academic performance in senior secondary school.

1.3     OBJECTIVES  OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of this study is to examine the effect of social networking on senior secondary school students’ academic achievement. This study was conducted with the following  specific objectives:

i.          To find out the amount of time students invest into social networking.

ii.        To ascertain  whether the use of social media affects  the study habits of students.

iii.      To investigate whether excessive use of social media distorts student concentration and cognition

iv.      To establish whether social media has a significant effect on secondary school student academic achievement

1.5      RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:

Ho1:  Excessive use of social media distorts  does not student cognition  and concentration on academic activities

Ho2:  Social media has  no  significant effect on secondary school student academic achievement

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is significant to the lecturers, parents and students. This study will help the teachers of the school to know the influence that social media has on their students, so as to assist them to enlighten and create awareness to the students on the possible influence it has on them. The study is of significant to parents in the sense that they will know the possible effects these social media usage has on their children, so as to serve as watch-dog to their children on the usage of the social networking site. Empirically, the study will add to the body of existing literature and serve as reference material to scholars who wishes to conduct further studies in related field.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study borders on the effect of social networking on senior secondary school students’ academic achievement. The study will further discuss how social media distorts student cognition and concentration on academic activities. The study is however delimited selected secondary schools in Asaba metropolis in Delta State.

1.7 LIMITATION OF STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only secondary school in Asaba metropolis in Delta State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other secondary schools in other  states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

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