1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
Social media has become an integral part of modern communication, influencing various aspects of daily life, including education. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat offer unprecedented opportunities for social interaction, information sharing, and networking among students. While social media presents numerous benefits for communication and community building, concerns have emerged regarding its potential impact on academic performance, particularly among students in demanding academic disciplines such as nursing.
Nursing education requires rigorous study schedules, clinical practice, and adherence to professional standards, making time management and academic focus critical factors for success. The accessibility and allure of social media can pose challenges to these priorities, potentially leading to distractions, reduced study time, and decreased academic performance (Junco, 2012; Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010).
Research in educational psychology and communication studies has explored the complex relationship between social media use and academic outcomes. Studies indicate that excessive engagement with social media may contribute to procrastination, sleep deprivation, and diminished academic achievement (Junco, 2012). Conversely, some research suggests that social media can facilitate collaborative learning, information sharing, and academic support networks among students (Gray, Annabell, & Kennedy, 2010).
Social media use is the engagement with online platforms and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. This includes platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). In recent years, the pervasive influence of social media platforms has transformed communication, interaction, and information dissemination among individuals across various domains of life, including education. The integration of social media into everyday routines has sparked debates regarding its impact on academic performance, particularly among university students who face rigorous academic demands.
The academic exploration of social media's effects on students generally started with broader studies examining its impact on learning behaviors, engagement, and outcomes across different disciplines. As social media platforms became more prevalent, researchers began to focus on specific student populations, such as nursing students, to understand how these platforms affect their unique educational experiences and professional preparation. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat offer unprecedented opportunities for networking, collaboration, and access to diverse information sources. However, concerns have been raised about the potential distractions and time management challenges posed by excessive engagement with these platforms. For nursing students, whose curriculum demands rigorous study schedules, clinical practice, and adherence to professional standards, the balance between social media use and academic commitments becomes critical.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the effect of social media use on academic performance of Nursing Students in University.
1.2 Statement of Problem
Investigation revealed that the use of social media among nursing students has become pervasive, raising concerns about its potential impact on academic performance. While social media platforms offer opportunities for communication, collaboration, and access to information, excessive use may lead to distractions, reduced study time, and diminished academic achievement (Junco, 2012; Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010). Nursing education requires rigorous study schedules, clinical practice, and adherence to professional standards, making it crucial to understand how social media use influences students' study habits, academic engagement, and overall performance. This study aims to investigate the relationship between social media use patterns and academic outcomes among nursing students, identifying factors that may enhance or detract from their educational success.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of social media use on academic performance of Nursing Students in University. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the correlation between social media use and academic performance indicators such as grades, exam scores, and overall GPA;
- To investigate the patterns of social media use among nursing students, including frequency, duration, and types of platforms engaged;
- To analyze the effects of social media use on academic engagement and concentration during study periods;
- To assess the relationship between social media use and study habits among nursing students; and
- To identify factors that moderates the relationship between social media use and academic performance among nursing students.
1.4 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does the social media network that the Nursing Students are more exposed to affect their academic performance?
- Is there any relationship between social media usages and demographic variables (age and gender) frequency of social media usage?
- Does age of student nurses have significant influence on the use of social media?
- How does social media use correlate with academic performance indicators such as grades, exam scores, and overall GPA among nursing students?
- What is the relationship between social media use and academic engagement during study periods among nursing students?
- How does the frequency and duration of social media use vary among nursing students?
- What is the relationship between social media use and study habits among nursing students?
- What factors mediate or moderate the relationship between social media use and academic performance in the context of nursing education?
1.5 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant relationship between the frequency and duration of social media use and the academic performance of nursing students.
- H1: There is a significant relationship between the frequency and duration of social media use and the academic performance of nursing students.
Hypothesis Two
- H0: Increased frequency and longer duration of social media use are not associated with lower academic performance among nursing students.
- H1: Increased frequency and longer duration of social media use are associated with lower academic performance among nursing students.
Hypothesis Three
- H0: Use of social media do not significantly influence on the academic performance of the Nursing Students in University.
- H1: Use of social media significantly influence on the academic performance of the Nursing Students in University.
Hypothesis Four
- H0: Social media will not have a significant impact on academic performance of the student nurses.
- H1: Social media will have a significant impact on academic performance of the student nurses.
1.6 Significance of Study
The outcome realized from the research findings will be significant to the following stakeholders:
- Educators and Administrators: Understanding the impact of social media use on academic performance can help educators and administrators develop informed policies and strategies to support student learning and mitigate distractions in educational settings.
- Nursing Students: Awareness of how social media use affects academic performance can empower nursing students to make informed decisions about their study habits and time management, potentially improving their educational outcomes.
- Healthcare Institutions: Educating future nurses involves ensuring they have strong academic foundations. Knowledge gained from this study can inform healthcare institutions about the potential impacts of social media on nursing students' preparation and performance in clinical settings.
- Parents and Guardians: Insights into the relationship between social media use and academic performance can help parents and guardians support nursing students in managing their online activities to optimize their educational success.
- Technology Developers: Findings from this study can provide valuable insights for developers of educational technologies and social media platforms to design tools that enhance rather than detract from nursing students' academic engagement and performance.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The scope of this research is focused on the effect of social media use on academic performance of Nursing Students in University using Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) as a case study.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
- Lack of Initial Cooperation from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.
1.9 Operational Definition of Terms
Social Media Use:
It is the engagement with online platforms and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. This includes platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).
Academic Performance:
It is the achievement and outcomes of students in their academic endeavors, typically measured by grades, exam scores, and overall GPA (Perry & Ball, 2017).
Nursing Students:
Individuals enrolled in nursing education programs, pursuing qualifications in nursing practice and healthcare (National League for Nursing, 2021).
Media:
They are all those media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by mass communication. They are messages communicated through a mass medium to a number of people.
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