Whether you are a student or an administrator on a college campus, social media is a big part of the campus landscape. But what does it really mean for students? Moreover, how do administrators make use of the tools that students are using? This article provides a number of answers.
Study design
Using social media is a great way for students to communicate with classmates and teachers. In addition, it can help students learn and retain information. In fact, many studies have found that students who use social networking sites perform better in their classes. It has also been proven that using social media is associated with higher levels of intrinsic motivation and engagement.
In order to investigate the impact of social networking services on student life, a survey was administered to students in Principles of Macroeconomics and Principles of Microeconomics classes at three institutions. A total of 525 participants responded, with 373 submitting their responses. The study revealed that the most popular social networking site was Twitter, followed by YouTube. In addition, Facebook and Instagram were also cited as popular platforms.
The survey showed that students used different social media sites for different reasons. The most common reason was to communicate with other students. During the course of the survey, 238 students maintained a GPA of 4.5 or above.
Data collection
Using a purposive sampling approach, this study investigated data collection on student use of social media at the college. The survey was based on semi-structured questionnaires that were distributed to 212 undergraduate teacher education students in 2013 and 2019, and tracked changes in student behavior over time.
The participants were preparing to become primary or secondary school teachers. They studied in ten different undergraduate programs, which ranged from Early Childhood and Primary Education to Secondary Education. They took one-semester courses in pedagogy and assessment courses, and took digital technologies as part of the required curriculum content courses.
The participants used several social media platforms. The most popular types of websites used were YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. The average duration of daily use was about three hours.
The participants viewed social media as a source of information, and as a way to acquire knowledge from other students and professionals. However, two-thirds of them said that social media was more of a distraction than a learning tool.
Results
Various studies have shown that students’ use of social media affects their academic performance. These effects may be positive and negative. But it is important for students to know how social media usage affects their academic performance in order to excel in their studies.
In one study, college students’ use of social media was analyzed. The questionnaire included questions about the student’s age, time spent on the internet, and the purpose of using social media. The questionnaire also measured the amount of time spent on the most used social networking sites. The results showed that students spend around six hours a day on social media.
In addition, students tend to use social media for entertainment purposes. The most popular application was Snapchat, followed by Instagram. The next most popular application was Twitter. The survey also indicated that students used social media for chatting. Moreover, 66% of students felt that they were more attracted to social media than to study.
Conclusions
Using online social media for collaborative learning can help students to become more research-oriented, dynamic, and creative. These characteristics enable them to excel in academics. However, students can be distracted from their studies if they use social networking sites too much. Creating awareness about the negative effects of social media can help students learn better and succeed in their academics.
A study analyzed the effects of social media on the mental health of Gen-Z college students. Researchers Kabilan, Ahmad, and Abidin studied 300 students from the University Sains Malaysia. They asked them to answer questionnaires about their use of social networking and social media applications. They found that the students tend to use social networking sites for fun purposes. Moreover, the study showed that students spent three hours or more on social networking during the night.
