The Effects of Social Media Use on Academic Performance

Indianapolis, IN

Research has previously shown that the use of social media negatively influences a student’s academic performance (e.g., Skiera, Hinz, & Spann, 2015). My survey sampling study evaluates how college students’ performance in school is linked to daily social media use in comparison to students who use social media less often using a quantitative approach. A sample of 50 participants was taken from the undergraduate student population at Butler University. Data was collected using an online survey that was distributed to the participants throughout various sources of social media. This survey questionnaire covered social media usage and also asked about their current academic performance in school, such as their current grade point average and habits in and out of school. This survey measured how the everyday use of social media is associated to the academic performance of college students. Inferential statistics were used to analyze the data retrieved. The daily use of social media positively predicted an adequate academic performance in students, showing that the use of social media does not worsen a students’ performance in school.