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

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

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The Internet revolution changed the world of information in terms of data sharing, speed, storage, and retrieval in any format, regardless of user location. As a result of the Internet, numerous online technologies have emerged, and one technology that is making waves in terms of information exchange and communication is social media networks. The age of the teacher as a knowledge repository has passed us by. As a result of technological advancements, the world is moving at breakneck speed. Notably, technology includes information and communication, which can be defined as the manipulation and processing of data (texts, images, graphs, and instructions) for use with electrical and communication devices such as computers, cameras, and telephones (Oleabhiele, 2015).

The rise of social media has had an impact on every aspect of life. society, both positively and negatively. Communication, education, and research have all been altered and influenced by social media. Among the numerous online communication tools available, social networking sites (SNS) have emerged as the most current and appealing means of connecting people all over the world (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. This platform allows individuals and groups to create profiles, share, and exchange information about their various activities and interests. One distinguishing feature of social media is that it can be accessed not only through desktop or laptop computers, but also through mobile applications and smart phones.

This makes it extremely accessible and simple to use. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Whatsapp, Instagram, and blogs are just a few examples of social media platforms that offer both online and mobile applications. Communicating via the internet and social networking sites is not the same as communicating in person. When users connect through these services, they use features like instant messaging (IM) and chatting, as well as status or Twitter updates, to communicate and express themselves (Kaitlin, 2010). Furthermore, Kaitlin (2010) claims that social networking sites influence how we obtain information and news. The sites create new avenues for us to obtain information and broaden the variety of news channels.

The use of social media by today’s secondary school students (such as Facebook) Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Whatsapp are all contributing to widespread academic failure (David, 2014). This is due to the fact that students nowadays spend more time socializing than conducting research or reading their books. According to a growing number of Nigerian experts, social media addiction has become a distracting technology in higher education, interfering with students’ academic performance. Oluwatoyin (2011), for example, 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 more time on social media than on homework and study time (which could contribute to higher grade). According to Al-Khalifa and Garcia (2013), social

The media serves a variety of functions in education, including providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and perspectives and allowing students to form their own cooperative communities.

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

There have been several debates on various platforms and media outlets about the effects of social media on society, particularly education. Several of these studies discovered a drop in students’ grades and academic performance, as well as a lack of study time, as a result of their participation in social media networks (Banquil et al, 2009; Kirschner and Karpinski, 2010; Ndaku, 2013). Pasek et al. (2006), on the other hand, “said

that a site-specific culture can have a positive or negative impact on the development of social capital, and discovered that Facebook usage is not associated with lower, but rather higher, student grades.” Kolek and Saunders (2008) discovered no link between student GPAs and their use of social media platforms like Facebook. Instead, social networking sites (SNS) enable interaction between students and professors (Ahmed & Qazi, 2011). As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of social media on students’ academic achievement at the senior secondary level.

1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT

Since the advent of social networking platforms in the 1990s, it is widely assumed that students’ academic performance has been neglected and questioned. In addition to their social networking

There is a diversion, a distraction, and a division of focus between their extracurricular activities and their academic work. It has been discovered that students pay more attention to social media than to their coursework.

Secondary school students, particularly in Delta State, are becoming increasingly absorbed by their smartphones and computers. The majority of students have Internet access through social media, which has resulted in or impacted their academic performance. Students spend a lot of time on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, Whatsapp, and YouTube.

Many parents and guardians are concerned that their children are not getting enough study time because they spend too much time on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms. While many parents are concerned about their children’s constant use of social networking sites, many students are not.

This will continue on a daily basis. The average Nigerian adolescent spends six to seven hours per day on the internet; some even stay up all night searching. When will they have time to read and research their books? According to the reviewed literature, social media users study between one and five hours per week, 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, either positively or negatively ( (Kapinski & Kirschner, 2011).

A preliminary assessment, as well as interviews with a few instructors and students, revealed a number of issues related to students’ use of social media networks. Among these were a

Students have a high prevalence of addiction, which interferes with their study time, they use incorrect language and spelling in social media conversations, and they are distracted from their academics. As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of social media on students’ academic performance in senior secondary school.

1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

The overarching goal of this study is to investigate the impact of social networking on the academic achievement of senior secondary school students. This research was carried out with the following specific goals in mind:

i. Determine the amount of time students devote to social networking.

ii. Determine whether students’ use of social media affects their study habits.

iii. Determine whether excessive social media use distorts student concentration and cognition.

iv. Determine whether social media has a significant impact on the academic achievement of secondary school students.

1.5 THEORIES OF RESEARCH

To guide the research, the following hypotheses were developed:

Ho1: Excessive social media use distorts student cognition and concentration on academic activities.

Ho2: Social media has no discernible impact on secondary school students’ academic achievement.

1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE

This research is important for professors, parents, and students. This study will assist school teachers in understanding the impact that social media has on their students, allowing them to enlighten and raise awareness among students about the potential impact it has on them. The study is important for parents because it shows that

will be aware of the potential effects of social media usage on their children in order to serve as a watchdog for their children’s use of the social networking site. Empirically, the study will add to the body of existing literature and serve as a resource for scholars who wish to conduct additional research in a related field.

1.6 STUDY OBJECTIVES

The scope of this study is limited to the impact of social networking on the academic achievement of senior secondary school students. The study will also look at how social media affects student cognition and concentration on academic tasks. The study, however, is limited to a few secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State.

1.7 STUDY LIMITATIONS

The researchers encountered minor constraints, as with any human endeavor. while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scarcity of literature on the subject because it is a new discourse, so the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information and in the data collection process, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited sample size covering only secondary schools in Asaba, Delta State. As a result, the findings of this study cannot be generalized to other secondary schools in other Nigerian states. Furthermore, the researcher’s involvement in this study while also working on other academic projects will impede maximum dedication to the research. Nonetheless, despite the research constraints, all factors were downplayed in