EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENT LEARNING

BY

Muhammad Abas
BN659827

Submitted in partial fulfilment of requirements for

B.Ed. (1.5 year) program

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

March, 2019

Muhammad Abas - 2019

 ABSTRACT

Social media are web-based services that provide each individual a chance to make either a

public or semi-public profile within a bounded system. Social media is basically a platform,

where students and people from all over the world can jointly examine network contents,

share their ideas, emotions, experience, feelings and build up relations for different purposes,

e.g., social or educational relationships. Social media recently has been very effective way of

communication. There are enormous number of people as well as students from all over the

globe on the web who are fascinated to collect information about others and meet other

people, to assemble, share data and encounters on many topics and areas.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate and analyse the effect of social media on

students learning. Efforts have been made to focus on most significant impacts with the help

of the latest literature review. The comprehensive study of literature review showed that the

major factors on which social media has its impact in the life of students include their

academic performance, health, privacy issues and social behaviour. The previous studies

have shown that there has been a minor change in the impacts of social media on both female

and male students.

INTRODUCTION

In this era of technology, web plays a dynamic role in virtually each field of life. Through

web, users will communicate with one another mistreatment totally different platforms.

Students use this facility for communication, making ready totally different comes,

assignment and displays. There are totally different platforms for various functions. For

formal communication users typically use Gmail, Yahoo mail or Hotmail. For casual talks or

sharing totally different reasonably stuff users like Facebook, twitter or Instagram. For
contacting somebody desperately users avail the ability of WhatsApp. For on-line streaming

users use YouTube. And for on-line games, users move to mini clip or blizzard diversion.

Nowadays an effective way of communication is social media networking. It is being used by

people belonging to field of life. Almost a decade 8 ago, social media was widely accepted

by public. There are several online networking platforms that include but are not limited to

Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Flickr, snapchat, vine, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest,

YouTube. The world has been changed and rapidly growing fast in the field of technology.

Nowadays technology that has gained popularity is social media. So there is no doubt

thankful to the invention of social media with the help of which people can exchange their

information with each other, they can share their feelings, emotions, their personal

information videos (by video conferencing) at the very astonishing rate. According to a

survey 73 to 80 precent teens use the social media and it encourage many negative and

positive behaviour between the teen students such as procrastination (catching up with

friends). However, many student spending countless hours in social media sites like

Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype and many more. At some glance it’s a wasting of time but at

other’s perspective it is also a way of information that student can get and also share the

information between each other’s. It can also help’s students to develop important knowledge

skills and be active citizen by sharing and creating the content.

Statement of the problem

With the rapidly growth in the numbers and the use of social media in the everyday

communication method for the individual and organization there has been a corresponding

increase in teaching and in the learning environments. In the view of this, the present study

can examine the problem and the impact of social media on student learning. The main

purpose of this research to expand the previous research results and to analyse the

relationship between the effect of social networking and the learning efficiency and to

determine that if the social media interfering with the students’ academic lives.
Objectives of the Study

The objectives of this research are as following

1) Analysis of how many and for how long social media is being utilized by students.

2) Analysis of the students’ perspective regarding social media that includes the following:

a. Reason behind using social media

b. Positive/negative impacts of social media in:
Academics
Social behaviour
Physical health
Privacy
Mental health

3) Analysis of the above impact(s) of social media on students with respect to gender; female

and students separately.

REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE

Ahn J investigated that doing research presented a theory known as “Signaling Theory”.

According to her theory, people have charm to become more and more popular and they add

unknown user and as result of this an individual compromises their own trust and privacy

[21]. Rideout V reported that the social media has gained importance and youth is wasting

more time on social media just for entertaining purpose. She also reported that an American

student by using social networking sites spends 7-8 hours a day, just for entertaining himself

and usually multi-task between various social networks they use [22].

Pardo A et.al has made an effort to explain importance of social networking sites in student’s

life. He reported that such platforms allow students to communicate with each other for

sharing information, ideas, feelings, experience, knowledge and also provide an effective way
to communicate with teachers as well. Pardo stated that such type of interactions is important

for students to learn new experience [23]

The authors in another study (Çolak, 2014) conjointly geared toward exploring the role and

impact of social media in students’ tutorial life. in keeping with them, social media utilization

includes a few positive effects on students’ life. Social media provides a platform wherever

they'll produce their own social life, create their own friends and communicate with them. it's

the foremost convenient manner of sharing one’s opinions and thoughts. Besides, students

will be part of varied teams and discuss varied topics freely with none conveyance problems.

It not solely improves their social skills however conjointly helps gaining confidence.

Cain J and Chretien K et.al reported a new term named “inter professional education”. Inter

professional education is defined as when different persons come together to share

knowledge, ideas and feelings which leads to improved and better understanding as they are

learning from each other’s experiences on single platform [24].

El-Badawy TA and Hashem Y et.al investigated that student academic performance has no

relationship with social media. And social media usage has no impact (positive or negative)

on student’s academic routine. The major negative result of social media in step with the

authors is that students get most concerned within the social media activities that they

become social media addicts. Because of this habit-forming behavior, students use social

media even in school rooms that creates disturbance for different students and concentration

problems in them. Inability to fastidiously follow lectures affects their grades. during this

manner, social networking increase students’ tendency towards non-instructive, unscrupulous

and inappropriate activities, as an example, futile visiting and time killing by stalking. The

authors finished that so as to spare youngsters' and immature grown-ups' tutorial lives,

educators and fogeys ought to work along. It seems that the most effective thanks to cut back

damages of social media is that this coordinated effort. [25].

According to Tariq W and Mehboob M et.al has reported that excessive usage of social

media is destroying the future and carrier of students. It diverts students from their studies

and interests. Research results also revealed that the data collected from a survey that there

are very large number users that are using social media in wrong way with multiple IDs (real

and fake one). Tariq and his co-workers also reported that in Pakistan there are no such laws

to be obeyed for social networking sites [26].

Kalia G et.al has reported in her research paper that the students should be engaged on a

social platform with each other to learn better and more knowledge by sharing of ideas and

views. Teachers should guide the students to explain ‘what social media is? and its fair use

for getting useful information. It also has been reported in his research that social media is an

entertainment world but it can also be used for educational achievements and professional

purposes [27].

METHODOLOGY
This section can make a case for the analysis methodology used for the analysis underneath

study. The general style or strategy that helps in getting the required goals and objectives of

the analysis is remarked as analysis methodology. It’s essentially a confirmation that the

matter underneath study has been analysed and addressed totally. This provides effectiveness

and completion to the analysis. The analysis methodology includes analysis style,

information assortment, dependability and validity, analysis of knowledge and moral

problems concerned within the analysis method.