IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BWARI AREA COUNCIL, FCTABUJA

Abstract

Due to popularity and wide acceptability of social media among students in Bwari Area Council, FCT, Abuja secondary schools and in Nigeria, most students have adopted this tools for varying reasons including academics. This study examined the impact of social media on academic performance of secondary school students. Descriptive research design was employed using a structured questionnaire to elicit responses from the respondents. The population of the study comprises of 230 respondents by using simple random technique. The questionnaire used was titled: Impact of Social Media on Students' Academic Performance (ISMSAP). Collected data were analyzed using mean to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. A mean criterion of 2.50 and above was retained while a mean below 2.50 criterion was rejected. For the test of hypothesis, the null hypothesis was rejected if the calculated t-calculated value was equal to or greater than the t-tabulated value whereas the null hypothesis was retained if the t-calculated value was less than the t-tabulated value. Also, the null hypothesis was rejected if the calculated p-value was equal to or less than the set p-value whereas the null hypothesis was retained if the calculated p-value was greater than the set p-value. Significant relations were found between social media use and students' academic performance. Students that use social media have access to more current information than those that do not use. The paper recommends among others that school authority should organize workshops and seminar to educate students on the ills of social media and ways of curbing the inherent dangers in it and counselling unit of the school should educate students on how and when to used social media to control the adverse effect on students.