Assessment of Negative Impacts of Social Media on Computer Students’ Academic Performance

Abstract

In the digital landscape of the 21st century, students' academic performance faces numerous challenges due to the widespread use of social media platforms. This study aimed to explore the detrimental effects of social media on computer students in Yobe State, Nigeria. Research questions were formulated to guide the investigation. The participants consisted of 413 computer students from four higher education institutions in Yobe State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey instrument was employed to collect data, focusing on four variable constructs: social media platforms, time spent, social media activities, and students' academic performance. Reliability assessments indicated a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.825 for each construct across all items, suggesting high reliability. The instrument was validated by six experts in the field using the Item Content Validation Index (I-CVI), which yielded values above 0.80 for each variable construct, indicating high content validity. Data analysis involved the use of mean, standard deviation, and percentage to address the research questions, while simple linear correlation was used to test formulated hypotheses. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS. The study revealed that most students frequently used WhatsApp and Facebook for their social media activities, with many spending more than 5 hours daily on these platforms. Furthermore, findings indicated a significant, moderately negative association between time spent on social media by the students and their academic performance. In essence, the study suggests a negative correlation between students' social media time spent and their academic performance. This implies that as time spent on social media increases, academic performance tends to decrease, and vice versa.