Social Media Use among Students of Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, Ogun State, Nigeria: Implication on Academic Performance

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of social media use on the academic performance of students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State. Survey approach with the use of questionnaire was employed in gathering data for the study. Two hypotheses were formulated and data were collected using a questionnaire tagged Social Media Use and Students’ Academic Performance Scale (SMUSAPS) The population comprises all students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro but the sampling was confined to only the HND students. 70 HND students were randomly selected from each of the five schools of the Institutions – Applied Science, Communication and Information Technology, Engineering, Environmental Studies and Management Studies to make a total of 350 students selected as sample for the study. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentage; and the hypotheses were tested using Chi-square Likelihood Ratio Test at 0.05 level of significance. The results revealed that participation in social media impairs dedication of students to academic activities and that it has negative effect on students’ academic performance. The study recommended that since there are perceived opportunities and advantages in the use of social media networks, Lecturers, parents, guardians and sponsors should always make efforts to educate students on the adverse consequence of excessive use of social media to ensure that students’ addiction to social media especially for social activities alone is reduced and facilitate learning outcomes among the students.