- Facebook is used by a majority of the college students. A decent number of them use it during class, because it makes them feel socially connected with their interest groups and peers.
- Facebook can affect students GPA based on how they use it, because some activities can be engaging and information-retentive while others can be just a distraction
- There is no direct correlation between the extensive use of Facebook and students academic performance
Facebook
is a social media that has connected people all over the world with their
friends and families. One of the big demographics that use Facebook is college
students. According to PewResearch, around 74%
of college students use social media sites as of 2014. Because Facebook is
integrated in almost every aspect of a student’s life, researchers have researched if and how extensive use of Facebook affects students' academic performance. The research findings are mixed. Research says, students academic performance can be impacted negatively and positively by how they use Facebook. However, extensive use of Facebook has no direct correlation with the students Academic Performance.
78% of the college students use Facebook because it makes them feel socially connected with their interest groups and peers
Facebook is a social media platform. Through Facebook, people can interact with friends and family over the Internet. The features of Facebook include the ability to chat, write a post, share links, share photos, play games and much more. It is essentially “hanging out” with your friends and families in the digital web. This is why Facebook attracts its users. The main reason why students use Facebook is because students feel socially connected with their interest groups and peers. One study, Online social networks: Why do students use Facebook, has found that students use of Facebook can be explained through the Social Influence Theory, We-Intention, the Use and Gratification Paradigm and the Social Presence Theory. These theories work together to explain that students want to feel connected to their peers and society. Facebook provides the students incentives about self-discovery, entertainment, or social events that can motivate them. By being motivated, students can connect with joint groups that have similar ideas and goals. Facebook serves as a purpose for students to be active in the community. It also is a source of entertainment and keeps them up to date with their friend’s activities. Positive social health is directly related to positive performance. If the use of Facebook can be positive on social health, how does it affect students’ academic performance?
Facebook is a social media platform. Through Facebook, people can interact with friends and family over the Internet. The features of Facebook include the ability to chat, write a post, share links, share photos, play games and much more. It is essentially “hanging out” with your friends and families in the digital web. This is why Facebook attracts its users. The main reason why students use Facebook is because students feel socially connected with their interest groups and peers. One study, Online social networks: Why do students use Facebook, has found that students use of Facebook can be explained through the Social Influence Theory, We-Intention, the Use and Gratification Paradigm and the Social Presence Theory. These theories work together to explain that students want to feel connected to their peers and society. Facebook provides the students incentives about self-discovery, entertainment, or social events that can motivate them. By being motivated, students can connect with joint groups that have similar ideas and goals. Facebook serves as a purpose for students to be active in the community. It also is a source of entertainment and keeps them up to date with their friend’s activities. Positive social health is directly related to positive performance. If the use of Facebook can be positive on social health, how does it affect students’ academic performance?
Professor Selterman suggests,
sole use of Facebook may not affect students’ academic performance, but the
performance might have an effect based on how students uses Facebook.
An Interview with Dylan Selterman, Professor at Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland, established that use of Facebook does not necessarily mean lower GPA. Selterman has not conducted a research for this topic, but he knows that the research for this topic has varying results. However, he believes that the sole use of Facebook has very little impact on student's academic performance. To justify the mixed results of different studies, Selterman says, "It might be a result of how people use Facebook, rather than its general usage". The way students utilize Facebook, for entertainment versus education, can impact the results of the studies.
Facebook activities have slightly positive and negative impact on students GPA, because some activities require engagement and information-retention while others are a distraction from learning.
Research
justifies Selterman’s claim that how students utilize Facebook could impact
their academic performance. Reynol Junco,
researcher from Loch Haven University, conducted a study that evaluated
if multitasking during class affected students’ academic performance. Junco
examined a large sample of 1,723 students, out of which 29% reported using
Facebook in class. These students’ different activities of multitasking with
Facebook were evaluated with their GPA. These activities included posting
statuses, chatting, sharing links, joining or planning events, playing games
and commenting. The research shows that activities such as posting statuses,
chatting and commenting are slightly negatively related with overall GPA. When
a student uses chat and posting status features, they are distracted and wasting
time. However sharing links, planning or joining events, and playing games are related to a slightly positive overall
GPA, because students are learning new information by doing this. However these activities do not have a huge impact on
the GPA as shown in the graph. These different activities on Facebook have
varying, slight impacts on GPA, both positive and negative, but we need to take
in consideration that these students were multitasking. Multitasking is the act
of doing two or more things at the same time such as talking and doing work.
While multitasking may seem doable, research has proven
that humans cannot multitask. Therefore multitasking and certain uses of
Facebook has a negative impact, while other uses of Facebook has positive impact
on students academic performance. But does the amount of time spent of Facebook
have any affect?
Several
studies show that there is no correlation between extensive use of Facebook and
students academic performance