CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Today, the globe celebrates advances in communication technology that have widened the

breadth of communication through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

Without a question, modern communication technology has transformed the entire world into a

"Global village." However, technology, like two sides of a coin, brings both terrible and positive

aspects with it. It assists people in being more knowledgeable, enlightened, and aware of current

events throughout the world. Humanity is exposed to a better method of doing things as a result

of technological advancements. Social networking sites include: Twitter, Yahoo Messenger,

Facebook Messenger, Blackberry Messenger (BBM), Whats app messenger, 2go messenger,

Skype, Google talk, Google Messenger, iPhone and Androids. These networking sites are used

by most people to interact with old and new friends, physical or internet friends (Asemah &

Edegoh, 2012). The world has been changed rapidly by the evolution of technology; this has

resulted into the use of technology as the best medium to explore the wide area of knowledge.

The evolution of internet technology has led to its use as the best medium for communication.

Whereby, two-third of the world’s internet population visits social networking or blogging sites,

thus serving as a communication and connection tool. Social networking sites (SNSs) are online

Communities of Internet users who want to communicate with other users about areas of mutual

interest, whether from a personal, business or academic perspective (William, Boyd, Densten,

Chin, Diamond & Morgenthaler, 2009). The millions of social networking sites have

transformed the thought of global village into a reality whereby billions of people communicate

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through social networking sites. Numerous benefits have been obtained through distant

communication through the use of social networking sites.

One of sectors in which technology and social networking has transformed includes the

education sector. Through social networking, students have been able to connect with other

students if like-mind, even with students who are from their country. This has allowed mind

rubbing, debates and sharing of ideas and knowledge across fields in the virtual world, so as to

improve academic performances. Academic excellence or achievement plays an important role in

an individual placement, be it in the academic institutions or job placement. Due to this, many

people are concerned with the ways they can enhance their academic achievement. The emphasis

on academic excellence which is also prevalent worldwide has encouraged many studies about

the conditions promoting it. The role of academic achievement as one of the predictors of one’s

life success and also in the aspect of academic placement in schools to higher institutions as well

as the level of employability in one’s career is inevitable (Kyoshaba, 2009).

Academic performance or achievement is the outcome of education, the extent to which a

student, teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals. Academic performance is

commonly measured by examinations or continuous assessment but there is no general

agreement on how it is best tested or which aspects are most important, procedural knowledge

such as skills or declarative knowledge such as facts (Olubiyi, 2012). It is therefore to be noted

that social media have both negative and positive impacts on students’ academic performance.

1.2 Statement of Problem

The world today is a global market in which the internet is the most important sort of

information. Since the advent of social media sites in the 1990s, it is assumed in some quarters

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that the academic performance of students is facing a lot of neglect and challenges. The

educational system in Nigeria is faced with so many challenges which have certainly brought

about a rapidly decline in the quality of education. There is a deviation, distraction and divided

attention between social networking activities and their academic work. It is observed that

students devote more attention to social media than they do to their studies.

Nowadays, the use of internet connected mobile phones by a good number of undergraduate

students is a common sight. They use such to find friends on Facebook or chat with their friends

without even considering how much time they spend on it. In the process, a great deal of time

that should be allotted to reading of textbooks and self-study is traded without a recourse to the

impact this may have on their academic performance. In fact, social media usage by most

students has reached such a crescendo that it is a concern to all stakeholders in education for its

potential risks. Social media usage presently, appear to create lax attitude on writing among

students who use social media networks as they abbreviate and spell using computer checks.

This may invariably affect students’ formal way of writing and general attitude to learning which

are key determinants of their academic performance (Emeri, 2019).

With the current rate of social media usage among students, unabated, it is evident that the

neglect of textbooks and learned journals, if not addressed will cause more of our library

textbooks and journals to be totally forgotten and more authors will prefer to remain digital.

What if something happens to the World Wide Web? Worse still, every year students’ poor

performance in school examination is increasing even in the presence of deep attachments of the

students to the social media among all gender and age groups. Perhaps the more time such

students spend online translates into less time spent reading books and poor study skills

development.

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Thus, social networking poses a lot of problems as it tends to consume individuals’ time and, in

most cases, young adolescents have problems adjusting to maintaining balance between

practicing social networking and their academics, such problems range from loss of educational

focus to inability to do assignments. Adolescents tend to have little or no control over their urge

to pick up their phones and socialize over the internet thereby reducing their interest in aca demic

activities which is internet addiction (Kaplan, 2010). It has further been reported that an average

adolescent rather than use social networking as means of sorting out information to improve

education use it majorly as a means of improving social livelihood, focusing on establishment of

cyber relationships which expose them to various damages (Ceghen, 2015). It is against this

backdrop that this study seeks to investigate the impact of social media on students’ academic

performance, while focusing attention on Benson Idahosa University, Benin. The study also

seeks to provide answers to the following research questions:

i. How prevalent is social media addictiveness among undergraduates of Benson Idahosa

University?

ii. What are the most common social media networks among users at Benson Idahosa

University?

iii. To what extent would student addictiveness to social network influence their academic

performance?

iv. What are the gender differences among social media users and addicts among the

undergraduates of Benson Idahosa University?

v. How does age influence the use of social media and addiction among the student

undergraduates?

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 vi. What are the solutions to social media addiction and its effects on academic performance

of students?

1.3 Research Objectives

The general objective of this study is to investigate the impact of social media on students’

academic performance, while focusing attention on Benson Idahosa University, Benin. Specific

objectives are:

i. To examine the prevalence of social media addictiveness among undergraduates of

Benson Idahosa University.

ii. To ascertain the most common social media networks among users at Benson Idahosa

University.

iii. To determine the extent to which student addictiveness to social network influence their

academic performance.

iv. To ascertain the gender differences among social media users and addicts among the

undergraduates of Benson Idahosa University.

v. To determine how age influence the use and addiction to social media networks.

vi. To proffer solutions to the social media addiction and its effects on academic

performance of students.

1.4 Research Hypotheses

H0: Students’ addictiveness to social network has no significant influence on their academic

performance.

H1: Age and gender have significant effects on the use and addiction to social media.

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1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to the teachers, 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 this 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.

The study will enable the student undergraduates in their career pursuits, so that they will be

aware that, apart from the social benefits of this social networking site, using the sites more than

necessary will pose possible dangers to their health. It will be relevant in assisting students in

understanding the diversity of social media. It will provide relevance material for students and

other researchers undertaking similar research. The study will help researchers with more

information on the impact of social media on student’s academic performance.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The focus of this research work is to primarily study the Influence of social media on the

academic performance of students. The study will comprise undergraduates of Benson Idahosa

University, Benin, Edo State.

1.7 Definition of Concepts

Social Media: They are forms of electronic communication which facilitate interactive base on

certain interests. Social media include web and mobile technology.

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Social Networking Sites: A website where people put information about them and can send to

others.

Social Networking: The use of internet to make information about yourself available to other

people especially people you share an interest with to send messages to them.

Media: These are all those media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by

mass communication. “They are messages communicated through a mass medium to a number

of people.

Academic performance: Academic achievement or academic performance is the extent to

which a student, teacher or institution has attained their short or long-term educational goals.

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Ceghen, A. (2015). University students’ internet use and common skills according to the internet
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Emeri, P. (2019). Influence of Social Media On Stude161 nts’ Academic Perfrmance in Lagos
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Kaplan, I. (2010). A new trend in the application of Information and Communication
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