SOCIAL MEDIA AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANC

E OF STUDENTS’ IN LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY,

OJO.

BY

ADELEYE DEBORAH OYINLOLA

MATRIC NO: 190641022

A LONG ESSAY SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOC

IOLOGY, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, LAGOS STATE U
NIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREM
ENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.SC)
DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY.

JANUARY, 2024
CERTIFICATION

1
This is to certify that the research work titled “Social media and academic performance of studen
ts’ in Lagos state university, Ojo” written by Adeleye Deborah Oyinlola has been read and appr
oved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Sciences (B.SC) degr
ee in Sociology.

__________________________ ___________________
DR. OLURANTI SAMUEL DATE
SUPERVISOR

_______________________________ ___________________
DR. OLURANTI SAMUEL DATE
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

______________________________ ____________________
EXTERNAL EXAMINER DATE

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 LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY
PERSONAL ETHICS STATEMENT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PROJECT
By signing this statement, I am attesting to the fact that I reviewed the entity of my attached wor
k and that I have applied all the appropriate rules of quotation and referencing in use in my facult
y as well as adhered to the anti- fraud policies outlined in the academic regulations in the Lagos
State University.

NAME: ADELEYE DEBORAH OYINLOLA

MATRICULATION NO: 190641022
FACULTY/DEPT: SOCIAL SCIENCE (SOCIOLOGY)
COURSE CODE/TITLE: SOC 498
SIGNATURE: ______________________

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 DEDICATION

I hereby dedicate this project to God Almighty for His infinite mercy.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My profound appreciation goes to the Almighty God,the one who has been my greatest supporter
and also saw me through this phase of my life.My appreciation also goes to my Loving Dad Adel
eye Olusoji And My Ever Supportive Mother Adeleye Oluyemi and the entire family for their f
inancial and moral support. I appreciate the special efforts of my supervisor in person Dr. Oluran
ti Samuel (A Father Figure) whose steadfast support on this project was greatly needed and deepl
y appreciated and for her guidance all through the duration of this research work. I also thank spe
cially other lecturers in the department in persons of Prof. Wahab, Dr. Bola Odunnaike, Prof. Ad
edeji Oyenuga, Dr. Onipede Wusu, Dr. Olanrewaju Ajiboye, Dr (Mrs) Olabisi Yusuff, Dr. Olura
nti Samuel, Dr. Olupuoye Olabusoye (My level adviser),Dr. Jubril Jawando, Dr.Raji Sikiru,
I wish to thank those that stood by me specially,my siblings; Adeleye Damilola, Adeleye Oyinda
mola,and Adeleye Daniel. And my special sister, friend and the sweetest roommate I could have
ever wished for Adeliyi Oluwatobiloba, and my Favourite person Oluyemi Taiwo and his Famili
es, and my friends Gbolahan Toheeb, Adeleke Sunday, Olatunde Nerry, Sulaimon Musa, Abolad
e Taiwo, Chinedu, Elvis, Abednego, Temiloluwa, no The Tijani’s, Chapel Of Great Grace Famil
y, House Of Peace Family, Germany Hostel Family And My Aunty and My Uncle for their supp
ort and encouragement all through the duration of my study in LASU. We met in LASU as stran
gers but the close ties we've built over the years will last beyond LASU. You guys are one of the
best gifts LASU gave me. I’m happy for the ideas we shared over the years in order to improve o
ne another academically and socially.
Special appreciation goes to my Supervisor Dr Oluranti Samuel, for his fatherly support all throu
gh the period of my study, and to my siblings once again and the entire (Adeleye)family.

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

Title page

Certification

Personal ethnics

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Table of content

Abstracts

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY

1.1 Background of the study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Research Questions

1.4 Objectives of the Study

1.5 Significance of the Study

1.6 Scope and delimitation of the Study

1.7 Conceptual Clarifications

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1 Literature review

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.3 Conceptual Framework

2.4 Hypothesis/Proposition

CHAPTER THREE

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Research Design

3.3 Population of the Study

3.4 Research Instrument

3.5 Validity of the Instrument

3.6 Method of Data Collection

3.7 Method of Data Analysis

3.8 Ethical Consideration

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Socio-demographic Characteristics of Respondents

4.2 Analysis of Research Questions
4.3 Discussion of findings

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

5.1 Summary of the study

5.3 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendations

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5.5 Suggestions for further studies

Reference

Appendix

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 ABSTRACTS

This research study investigates the relationship between social media and academic performanc
e of Lagos state students. The study employs a quantitative approach to extract patterns, correlati
ons, and numerical insights. The study concludes that social media has negative effects on teenag
ers such as lack of privacy, distracting students from their academic work, taking most of their pr
oductive time, and such like. However, some studies prove that social media negatively affect th
e performance of students while according to some researches it improves the learning of its user
s and improve their communications skill. The study is divided into various sections such as the
abstract, introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis, and conclusion. Th
e introduction section provides a background of the study and highlights the importance of educa
tion in national development. The literature review section examines previous studies on the topi
c and provides insights into the effects of social media on academic performance. The research m
ethodology section outlines the research design, population of the study, research instrument, val
idity of the instrument, method of data collection, method of data analysis, and ethical considerat
ion. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the effects of social media on academic per
formance and highlights the need for students to manage their time effectively and balance their
social media usage with their academic work.

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.

Education has brought unprecedented turnaround in development for nations that have given it a
pride of place in their national affairs. In line with this, the Federal Government of Nigeria has a
dopted education as an instrument par excellence for effecting national development. The quality
of educational outcomes of learners would determine how education is set to achieve this nationa
l expectation. All stakeholders in the business of child education - the child himself, the home, th
e school and the society at large are saddled with the responsibility of realizing this national goal.

Traditionally, students’ academic performance has been linked to the variables of; parents’ educa
tion, economic status, learners study habits, social incentives, teachers’ qualification appearance
and personality, teacher-students relationships and physical facilities (Broome, 2003).

However, the emergence of social media in the global educational landscape in the onset of 21st
century has changed the students’ entire lives’ course, especially their preferred pattern of learnin
g which is key in students academic performance. Learning itself is a complex process by means
of which knowledge, skills, habits, facts, ideas and principles are acquired retained and utilized.
A students’ academic performance is a measure of how much of these have been achieved in the
learner, Learning enables one to adapt to his/her environment and also to modify the existing beh
aviour when necessary.

Activities that would promote or inhibit learning would undoubtedly affect students’ educational
outcomes. Maximizing the learning potentials of the child through providing a conducive learnin
g environment is a way of supporting him/her to better performance.

The world is today celebrating the improvements in communication technology which has broad
ened the scope of communication through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
Modern Technology in communication no doubt has turned the entire world into a “Global villa
ge”. But as it is, technology like two sides of a coin, bring with it both negative and positive side
s. It helps people to be better informed, enlightened, and keeping abreast with world developmen

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ts. Technology exposes mankind to a better way of doing things. Social networking sites include:
Twitter, Yahoo Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Blackberry Messenger (BBM), Whats app mes
senger, 2go messenger, Skype, Google talk, Google Messenger, iPhone and Androids.

These networking sites are used by most people to interact with old and new friends, physical or
internet friends ( Asemah and Edegoh, 2012). The world has been changed rapidly by the evoluti
on of technology; this has resulted into the use of technology as the best medium to explore the
wide area of knowledge.

The evolution of internet technology has led to its use as the best medium for communication. W
hereby, two-third of the world’s internet population visits social networking or blogging sites, th
us serving as a communication and connection tool. Social networking sites (SNSs) are online C
ommunities of Internet users who want to communicate with other users about areas of mutual in
terest, whether from a personal business or academic perspective‖ (William ,Boyd, Densten, Chin,
Diamond & Morgenthaler 2009).

The millions of social networking sites have transformed the thought of global village into a reali
ty whereby billions of people communicate through social networking sites. Numerous benefits h
ave been obtained through distant communication through the use of social networking sites.

Academic excellence or achievement plays an important role in an individual placement, be it in

the academic institutions or job placement. Due to this, many people are concerned with the way
s they can enhance their academic achievement. The emphasis on academic excellence which is
also prevalent worldwide has encouraged many studies about the conditions promoting it. The ro
le of academic achievement as one of the predictors of one’s life success and also in the aspect of
academic placement in schools to higher institutions as well as the level of employability in one’
s career is inevitable (Kyoshaba, 2009).

Academic performance, which is measured by the examination results, is one of the major goals
of a school. Hoyle (1986) argued that schools are established with the aim of imparting knowled
ge and skills to those who go through them and behind all this is the idea of enhancing good acad
emic performance.

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Academic performance or achievement is the outcome of education, the extent to which a studen
t, teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals. Academic performance is commonl
y measured by examinations or continuous assessment but there is no general agreement on how
it is best tested or which aspects are most important, procedural knowledge such as skills or decl
arative knowledge such as facts (Annie, Howard & Mildred, 1996).

The relationship between social media and academic performance of Lagos state students is a dir
ect existence. However the darker side within technological evolution has resulted in dilemmas s
uch as the setback of real values of life especially among students who form the majority of users
interacting through the use of social networking sites. With so many social networking sites displ
ayed on the internet, students are tempted to abandon their homework and reading times in prefer
ence for chatting online with friends. Many students are now addicted to the online rave of the m
oment, with Facebook, Twitter etc. These networking sites focus on building and reflecting socia
l association

ns among people who share interests and or activities.

Today most youths and students possess Facebook accounts. The reason most of them perform b
adly in school might not be far- fetched. While many minds might be quick to blame the poor qu
ality of teachers, they might have to think even harder, if they have not heard of the Facebook fre
nzy (Oche & Aminu .2010). Olubiyi (2012) noted that these days’ students are so engrossed in th
e social media that they are almost 24 hours online.This Also happens in classrooms and lectures
theater.This has been observed that some students are always busy pinging, 2going or Facebooki
ng, while lectures are on.This is the time they are ought to channeled towards learning, academic
research and innovating have been crushed by the passion for meeting new friends

online, and most times busy discussing trivial issues.

Hence, most students’ academics suffer setback as a result of distraction from the social media. I
n (Obi, Bulus, Adamu & Sala’at 2012), it was observed that the use of these sites also affects stu
dents’ use of English and grammar. The students are used to short forms of writing words in their
chat rooms; they forget and use the same in the classrooms. Although it has been put forward tha
t students spends much time on participating in social networking activities, with many students

12
blaming the various social networking sites for their steady decrease in grade point averages (Ki
mberly, Jeong and Lee, 2009), it also shows that only few students are aware of the academic an
d professional networking opportunities the sites offered.

Whereas on the other hand, (Liccardi, Ounnas, Massey, Kinnunen, Midy, & Sakar. 2007) review
ed that the students are socially connected with each other for sharing their daily learning experie
nces and do conversation on several topics.Tinto (1997) argued that extracurricular activities and
academic activities are not enough to satisfy some student those who are suffered by social netw
orking isolation. This shows that social networks are beneficial for the students as it contributes i
n their learning experiences as well as in their academic life.

This means, the more students use social media, the more they influence their disposition to stud
ies, given the fact that friends from social media will begin to exert influence on each other.

1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Since the advent of social media sites in the 1990s, it is assumed in some quarters that the acade
mic performance of students is facing a lot of neglect and challenges. There is a deviation, distra
ction and divided attention between social networking activitiesand their academic work. It is ob
served that studentsdevote more attention to social media than they do totheir studies.

Secondary school students particularly in Lagos State are becoming very busy with their handset
and laptops. Social media gives most students access to the Internet and this has resulted or affec
ted the students' academics. Through the use of Facebook, chatting, checking their email, pinging,
whatsapp, youtube, and MySpace. students spend lots of time away from studying.

It is speculated that an average Nigerian youth spends about six to seven hours on the internet dai
ly, some even do all night browsing. When do they have the time to read/study their books or un
dertakeresearch? Literature reviewed shows that students who use Facebook had grade point aver
ages (GPA) between 3.0 and 3.5, while non- users had grade point averages (GPA) between 3.5 a
nd 4.0. Users of social media spend one to five hours a week studying, while non-users study 11
to 15 hours per week (Kapinski & Kirschner, 2011).

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It is believed that the use of technology such as internet is one of the most important factors that
can influence educational performance of students positively or adversely. Many parents and gua
rdians are worried that students are spending too much time on facebook and other social media s
ites and have not enough time to study. Though parents are worried about students' constant use
of the social media sites, many students continue to utilize these sites on a daily basis.

Preliminary investigation and interviews with some teachers and students revealed a number of c
hallenges in relation to student's participation on social media networks. These included a high a
ddiction rate among students which affects their time of study, wrong usage of grammar and spel
ling in social media discourse as well as distracting students from their studies. Therefore, this re
search seeks to explore the impact of social media on students' academic performance among stu
dents of Lagos state university.

1.3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS.

1. To what extent would student addictiveness to social media influence their academic perfor
mance?

2. Does social media that students are exposed to affect their academic performance?

3. How has the usage of social media influence the academic performance of the students in La
gos State University?

4. What are the types of social media expose to by student.

1.4. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. Examine student addictiveness to social media and its influence their academic performance.

2. Examine social media exposed to by students and its effect on their academic performance?

3. Examine how the usages of social media influence the academic performance of the students
in Lagos State University

4. Examine the different types of social media expose to by student.

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1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is significant to the lecturers, parents and students. This study will help the teachers of
the school to know the influence that social media has on their students, so as to assist them to en
lighten and create awareness to the students on the possible influence it has on them. The study is
of significant to parents in the sense that they will know the possible effects these social media u
sage has on their children, so as to serve as watch-dogto their children on the usage of the social
networking site.

The study will enable the students of the senior level so that they will be aware that, apart from t
he social benefits of this social networking site, using the sites more than necessary will pose pos
sible dangers to their health. It will be relevant in assisting students in understanding the diversit
y of social media. It will provide relevance material for students and other researchers undertakin
g similar research. The study will help researchers with more information on the Influence of soc
ial media on student's academic performance.

1.6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY/DELIMITATION OF STUDY

The focus of this research work is to primarily study the Influence of social media on the academ
ic performance of students. The study will comprise students in Lagos state university..

The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collectio

n and analysis methods. The study uses secondary data from various sources, such as official stat

istics, reports, journals, and websites. The study also uses primary data from a survey questionna

ire. The study is limited by the sample size and representativeness of primary data sources on soc

ial media and academic performance of students’ in Lagos State University, Ojo. The sample siz

e of may not be sufficient to capture the diversity and complexity of social media and academic p

erformance of students’ in Lagos State University, Ojo. The sample may also be biased by the sel

ection criteria and the researcher’s judgment. The study will try to use a variety of data collection

15
methods and triangulate the data sources as much as possible to ensure their credibility and trust

worthiness.

1.7. CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS

Social Media: Is the interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange info
rmation and ideas in virtual communities and networks.

Social Networking Sites. A social networking service or SNS is a type of online social media pl
atform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who s
hare similar personal or career content, interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.

Media. In mass communication, media are the communication outlets or tools used to store and
deliver information or data.

Academic performance. is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their
short or long-term educational goals.

Students: performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has attained their sh
ort or long-term educational goals.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

INTRODUCTION

This chapter will review some of the several numerous work done by scholars and researchers th
at are directly related to this research work. In doing so this chapter will help to examine and reas
sess the following area;

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW

Social media is all about connecting and sharing with others online. It's a way to stay in touch wi
th friends, discover new things, and express yourself. But it's important to use it responsibly and
be mindful of the impact it can have. It is also the means that employ mobile and web based tech
nology to create highly interactive platforms via individuals and community shares, co- create, di
scuss and modifies user-generated content ( kietzmannn,2012.)

Social media is a way to stay connected, discover new things and express yourself. It is a website
that does not give you information but interact with you while giving you information. It is also a
group of internet based applications that allows the creation and exchange of users generated con
tent.

Do you know that it is easy for us to confuse social media with social news because we often ref
er to members of the news as the media.

Additionally, social news sites is also social media sites. Some of the media websites includes;

● Social bookmarking:Social bookmarking is a way to save and organize interesting web p

ages or articles that you come across while browsing the internet. It allows you to bookmark
or "save" these pages so that you can easily access them later.( Pinterest,pocket and flipboar
d).

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● Social news: platforms or websites where users can share and discover new articles, stories

and other contents. ( Reddit, Digg).

● Social networking: connecting with others and building relationships online.( Facebook,

instagram).

● Social photos and video sharing: interact by sharing photos or videos and commenting on

the user submission.( YouTube, Snapchat).

● Wikis: interact by adding articles and editing existing articles.( Wikipedia).

Social Networking Site

A social networking site is a platform where people can connect and interact with each other onli
ne. It's like a virtual community where you can share updates, photos, and messages with friends
and family.

“A social networking site” is like a digital hangout spot where you can meet and stay connected
with people. You can create a profile, add friends, and share posts, photos, and videos. It's a cool
way to stay in touch and share moments with your squad. These networking sites are ( Facebook,
Twitter, linkedln, instagram, MySpace.)

Ellison and Boyd ( 2007) define social network sites as web - based services that allow individua
ls to construct profiles, display user connections and search and traverse within that list of conne
ctions . A social media is an online service or platform that focus on facilitating the building of s
ocial network among people who share interest, activities and background on real life connection
s. It is a website that allows users to share information within a selected group. It is a great way t
o stay connected and a convenient way to share photos from trips (Awake, 2012).

It consists of a representation of each user (profiles),social links and a variety of additional servic
es. For detailed analysis of social media ,the following terms will be discussed:

• Impact of Social Media

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• Features

• Social Media and Education

• Constraints in Education

Impact of Social Media

Through email and instant messaging, online communities are created where a gift economy and
reciprocal altruism are encouraged through co-operation. facebook and other social networking t
ools are increasingly the objective of scholarly research. Scholars in many fields have begun to i
nvestigate the impact of social networking site, investigating how such site may play into issues
of identity, privacy, social, youth culture and education.Several website are beginning to tap into
the power of the social networking model for philanthropy. In 2011 HCL technologies conducted
research that showed that 50% of British workers are banned from the use of social media during
office hours. In this view,when one is chit-chatting, the content of the message reveal a lot about
an individual. In chatting, comments, photos, and status should speak less of an individual. Kim i
n summary says: "if you are mindful of what you are doing, you can maintain a measure of priva
cy on social media" (Awake, 2012).

One of the ironies of the internet is that it keeps you apart from the most important things'. It is a
great way to stay connected with people but vou just have to know when to shut it down. Raquel
concluded that it seems that when people go on a social network they lose their mind"(Awake, 2
012).

Features of Social Media

According to the Boyd and Ellison (2007) article entitled "Why Students Heart, Social media: th
e role of social media publics in teenage life?" It shares a variety of technical features that allows
individuals to construct a public or semi-public office,articulate list of their users that they share
connection with and view their list of connections within the system. In an article titled 'social ne
tworking sites' definition and scholarship, Boyd and Ellison adopt Sunden's (2003) description of
profiles as unique pages where one can type oneself into being a profile is generated from answer
to question,such as age, location and interest. Some site allows users upload pictures', add multi

19
media content or modify the look of their profile. For instance, facebook allows the user to updat
e their status and change profile pictures and BB chat that allows them change display picture,na
me and status.

The allow them search for users and share a list of contact and there aresections dedicated to com
ments from friends and other users. To protect their privacy, theyhave a control that allows users
to choose who can view their profile, contact and add them to their list of cont acts.

Social Media and Education

The advent of social media platforms may also be impacting the way in which learners engage w
ith technology in general. For a number of years, Prensky (2001) dichotomy 16 between digital n
atives and digital immigrants has been considered a relativelv accurate representative of the ease
with which people of a certain age rate, in particular, those born before and after 1980, use techn
ology.

Social media and their educational uses are of interest to many researchers. LivingStone and Bra
ke (2010) in their opinion said 'social networking site, like much else on theinternet representing
a moving target for researchers and policy makers'. Recent trends indicate that 47% of Nigeria st
udents use social media. A national survey in 2009 found that 37% of online teenagers use social
media which increased to 555% three years later (Len Hart, Purcell, Smith and Zickuhr, 2010). It
has also, shown that it provides opportunity within professional education but however, there are
constraints in such areas.

Constrains of Social Media in Education

In the past, social media were viewed as a distraction and offered no educational benefit. Blockin
g this social media was a form of protection for students against wasting time, bullying and priva
cy protection. In an educational setting, Facebooking and BB chat is seen by instructors and educ
ators as frivolous time wasting and distraction from school work.

Cyber bullying has been an issue of concern with social media. An online survey based on 9-19 y
ears old and above discovered that students received bulling comments online. Social networking,
often include a lot of personal information posted publicly and many believe that sharing person

20
al information and the easy communication vehicle that social networking opens the door to sexu
al predators. However, there is evidence of contradiction to this, 69% of social media using teens
and 85% adults said people are mostly kind to one another. The national school board associatio
n reports that almost 60% of the students who use social network talk about educational topics on
line and more than 50% talk about school work. Yet the vast majority

of school district has stringent rules against nearly all forms of social media during school hours.
Social media focused on supporting relationship between teachers and students which are now us
ed for learning. Some sites like Ning-for teachers and Term wiki-learning Centre were created to
support this.

Social media allows participant the opportunity for just in time learning and engagement and pre
scribed curriculum. Jerkins(2006) described it as participatory culture. It creates space for learner
s which James(2004) suggest affinity space and dispersion of expertise and relatedness for learni
ng.

Parental Involvement and Social Media

Parent- child conflicts have also become more of an issue since the sudden escalation of online s
ocial media (Greenfield & Subrahmanyam, 2008). Research has shown that students who have a
strong sense of communication and closeness with one (or more) parent or guardian have a better
chance at academic success (Greenfield &Subrahmanyam, 2008). With adolescents hooked on th
e Internet and other forms of technology and their language changing with new acronyms and co
de words that can only be learned through this technology, the gap between parents and children
has gotten larger (Greenfield & Subrahmanyam, 2008). Many parents do not understand their chi
ldren, and cannot find a way to relate to their virtual worlds. This, in turn, causes distress in theh
ousehold and may ultimately lead to a barrier between parent, child, and communication about sc
hool work and grades (Greenfield & Subrahmanyam, 2008).

Benefits Of Social Media

Though many arguments can be made about the possible risks of adolescent social media, it is im
portant to point out the benefìts of these websites as well. Many schools have started to use these
sites to promote education, keep students up to date with assignments, and offer help to those in

21
need (Boyd, 2007). In general, the Internet and social media can be a positive influence on adole
scents. Social media provide an outlet for teens to express themselves in their own unique ways
(Boyd, 2007).

In addition, they serve both as a meeting place for teens to interact with other like-minded people
and as show places for a teen's artistic and musical abilities (Bovd, 2007).

Finally, students use these sites as tools to obtain information and resources for graduation prepa
ration and future planning. For example, students applying for university visit profiles of that un
iversity's students to view pictures and read blogs of past students to determine whether the unive
rsity would be a good fit (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).

2.1.1 STUDENT’S ADDICTIVENESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Students engage in a variety of activities some of which may be potentially addictive. (kuss and
Griffiths, 2011). The mass appeal of social media on the internet could be a cause for concern, p
articularly when attending to the gradually increasing amount of time students spend online. Und
ergraduates spend more time on Facebook, Twitter and other social media through smartphones
that are now in abundance among these students. Many student cannot go for two-three hours wit
hout checking and updating their profiles on these social networks even at the detriment of other
activities such as educational and career pursuit. (Morahan- Martin and Schumacher, 2000) expla
in social media addiction as the excessive use of the internet and the failure to control this usage
which seriously harms a person's life.

Many concerned parents have expressed grave concern that they could hardly get the attention of
their children and wards, as they seem to have been carried away by the fascinating world of soci
al networks. Some students are social freaks that they have now carved out for themselves a wor
ld of fantasy and illusion for detached from reality.

Bello (2012) of the Sunday Observer observes that if the dangerous trend of social media "obses
sion" if left unchecked could further affect an already collapsing education system in Nigeria. Th
e reason students are performing poorly in school these days might not be far fetched. While poo
r quality of lecturers can quickly take the blame, one might think harder if the phrase "Facebook
frenzy" has not been heard of. It is a common sight to see a students chatting in sensitive and hig

22
hly organized places like church, mosque and lecture venues. Some are so carried away that even
as they are walking along the high way, they keep chatting. Attention has been shifted from visib
le to invisible friends, while important ventures like study and writing are affected in the process.

These has become a source of worry to many who believe in knowledge and skill acquisition (M
cQuail 2008). Jeong (2005) noted that internet addiction is significantly and negatively related to
students' academic performance, as well as emotional attributes. (Olowu & Seri 2012).

Indicated that students in Nigeria are spending too much time on social networking sites at the de
triment of other necessary things such as their studies. They explained that students usage of thes
e social media even point towards obsession. The students have made the social media their top p
riority and continued to need more usage in order to feel satisfied In Ogedebe, Emmanuel & Mus
a (2012), a study on Facebook and Academic Performancein Nigeria Universities was carried out
on 122 university students; they tested six hypotheses to know the effect of social media on the a
cademic performance of students in selected universities. The study tested among other hypothes
es that the more time students spends on Facebook, the lower his or her grade point average will
be.

In Olubiyi (2012), the author observed that the bone of contention of the social media is the obse
ssive attitude of Nigerian students towards its use. He pointed out that students waste their time t
hrough idle chats and other immoral acts. Students are so engrossed in the social media networks
that they are almost 24 hours online. Even in classrooms and lecture theatres, it has been observe
d that some students are always busy pinging, whatsapping or Facebooking, while lectures are on.
The result is that quality time that ought to be spent on academic research and other productive n
etworking is lost.

2..1.2 STUDENTS EXPOSURE TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media refers to the means of interaction among people in which they create and share com
ment among themselves in different networks. Andreas and Michael (2010) are of the opinion th
at social media is a group of internet based application that builds on the ideological foundation a
nd allows the creation and exchange of users – generated content. Social media has become one
of the major channel of chatting through platforms such as Facebook, instagram , blogger and wi

23
ki a. There has been an increase in the mobile social media which has created new opportunity fo
r browsing.

Internet usage effect of social media was sighted by (Nielsen 2012) that students spend more tim
e on social media than any other sites.Half of our time on our phones in 2022 is reserved for soc
ial media.There are 4.76 billion social media users which are 59.4% of the world's population.

Kaplan and Haenlein( 2010) classified social media into six classes:

1. Collaborative project ( Wikipedia).

2. Blogs and Micro blogs ( Twitter).

3. Content Communities ( YouTube).

4. Social Networking Sites ( Facebook).

5. Virtual Game world ( World of war craft).

6. Virtual Second World ( Second life).

Mobile Social Media

When social media is used in combination with mobile devices, it is called mobile social media.
Social media is a group of mobile marketing applications that allow the creation and exchange of
users generated content. Due to the fact that mobile social media runs on mobile devices, it is dif
fer from traditional social media as it incorporates new factors such as the current location of the
user, time delay between sending and receiving. According to (Kaplan 2002) social media can be
devided into four types:

● Space - timers: (Location and time sensitive). Exchange of message with relevance for speci

fic location and time. ( Facebook, instagram, 2go)

24
● Quick- time: ( time sensitive). Transfer of traditional social media application to mobile serv

ice to increase immediately. E.g posting social twitter messages status update and also uploa
ding display pictures.

● Space - locators ( location sensitive) : exchange messages with relevant for on specific locati

on which are tagged to certain place.

● Slow - timers ( neither location nor time sensitive) : transfer traditional social media applicat

ion to mobile data. Reading a Wikipedia entry.

Students connect with computer to send and receive information's anywhere on the globe. The m
anufacturing and distribution of equally sophisticated smarts phones has complicated the situatio
n, as students no longer need to visit a cybercafe beforethey send and receive messages. Some sc
hool are so equipped that there is internet connection made available within the school premises
as well as in the library. Online Wikipedia and blogs are the main resource centers for students as
attention have been shifted from making research in the library to overall dependence on theses s
ocial platforms. It is a common thing to see a student reading in the library and putting the books
aside on hearing the sound of a ping on the phone.

According to a joint study by Study Breaks on the use of mobile devices among students discove
red that, an average undergraduate spend 3.6 hours a day with their cell phones and smartphones,
while spending less time with computers, gaming devices and e-readers.

2.1.3 INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Though there have been many social, economic, and environmental factors that have addedto the
pressure of university students in the past ten years, the drop-out rate for students isstill a major n
ational problem (Bowen, 2008. Current statistics show that universitystudents in Nigeria are und
er increased pressure due to higher academic standards in othercountries, and it has become more
important than ever for educators to encourage graduation and further education (Bowen, 2008.
However, with more and more students being preoccupied with social media networks and techn
ological social lives, how will this affect their studies? It is estimated that even those students wh

25
o do graduate high school, one out of three does not have possess the knowledge and skills that
would lead him or her to the next level, such as college or an advanced trade school (Bowen, 200
8).

At the same time (Williams, 2008). there may be some advantages to this, such as the teen learni
ng how to type faster and multi-task many things at once, there may also be a breakdown in muc
h of that communication (Williams, 2008).

Literacy has also taken a dive in the past decade, which has caused many educators to question w
hat can be done to help students improve their reading, writing, speaking, and thinking- all of the
most basic skills for a successful future (Wise, 2009). As one researcher stated, "Literacy is, in re
ality, the cornerstone of student achievement, for any student, in any grade" (Wise, 2009, 373). T
he question that many school professionals have withregards to communication is whether or not
a tertiary institution student is able to followschool curriculum in courses like English or Langua
ge Arts (Williams, 2008). Also, will itbe possible to teach them without the use of multi-tasking
and using new forms oftechnology.

Negative Effective

Many students cannot go for two-three hours without checking and updating their profiles on the
se social networks even at the detriment of other activities such as educational and career pursuit.
(Morahan-Martin and Schumacher, 2000) explain social media addiction as the excessive use of t
he internet and the failure to control this usage which seriously harms a person's life. Summing u
p, it turned out that the internet occupies a specific place in the life of student respondents. Major
ity of the respondents cannot leave their phone even during the class session. Majority of them p
erforms homework through the internet, watch the series every day, but it does not interfere with
their educational process.

The result from the findings of this study showed that, social media have negative effects on teen
agers such as lack of privacy, distracting students from their academic work, taking most of their
productive time and so on. Some students get negative exposure through social media which affe
cts their personality, communication and interaction with others, and their low performance in sc
hool. Social media can make or break you as a student.

26
Positive Effective

Nowadays, in the world of connecting learning, the impact of social media on education is beco
ming a driving factor. The world is becoming smaller, and by the use of technology such as socia
l media, the way we get an education is changing. Social media and education can complement o
ne another if used effectively. Social media is continually developing new educational possibiliti
es for students. It has many positive effects on education. But the same has some negative effects.

Social media platforms allow students to communicate, share content with classmates, and conne
ct with others. In today's world, most students are regular users of social media platforms to rema
in aware of and updated on current events. Utilizing social media platforms in academic-related a
ctivities such as discussions allows students to participate in subject discussions and interact with
content. This single destination of conversation paves the way for communication and enhances s
tudents' learning strengths, which can move beyond the subject raised by teachers or hosts. Socia
l media platforms are the best resource for improving communication, promoting positive learnin
g attitudes, encouraging students to seriously consider learning and learning activities, and maxi
mizing social capital through virtual communications. It has been noticed that students or scholar
s in online settings spend time on social media platforms to work through the learning process. It
is believed that the use of social media platforms in educational institutions enhances the level of
interaction between instructors and students.

According to Alamri et al, learning tools are just as essential as learning objectives because they
encourage social interaction, entail interactive learning, and aid open learning.

2.1.4 Usage of Social Media and Student’s Academic Performance

The social media engages students and have to be examined as entrepreneurs ofunderstanding. T
he medium of internet is marketing with increase in its programs. Theinteractive character of onli
ne conditions has extended with social networking. Hooking upthrough social networking began
as being a niche activity, though time it's a phenomenonThe web sites are employed in many wa
ys like developing metropolitan areas, speaking,blogging etc. Additionally different institutions e
ven nowadays are developing groups onseveral Websites (Saba Mehmood 2013).

27
The improved usage of Websites has become a worldwide phenomenon for quite sometime. Wha
t began out as being a hobby for several computer literate people has converted to a social norm
and existence-style for individuals from around the globe (Nicole Ellison,2007).

Teens and youth have especially recognized these internet sites to be able to contact their peers, s
hare information, reinvent their personas, and showcase their social lives Nicole Ellison, (2007).
While using the increase of technology helpful for getting together with others along with the rec
ognition on the internet, Internet sites are now being an activity that's done mainly on the web, w
ith Websites Vaughn, Coyle (2008).

According to Khan U (2009), social media users often time experience poor performance academ
ically. Similarly, Englander, Terregrossa & Wang (2010) posit that social media isnegatively ass
ociated with academic performance of student and is a lot more momentousthan its advantages. I
nternet addiction consequently gave rise in internet usage within thelast couple of decades. Nalw
a & Anand (2003) recommended that addicted users preferusing internet setting back their perso
nal and professional responsibilities which ultimatelyleads to poor academic performance. In the
same vein, Karpinski (2009) pointed out thatsocial media users devoted lesser time to their studie
s in comparison to nonusers did andsubsequently had lower GAs. Karpinski & DubersteiSn. (200
9).Also mentioned that amongvarious unique distractions of every single generation, Social medi
a remains a majordistraction of current generation.

2.1.5 Social Media in Lecture Room

Having social media in the lecture room has been a controversial topic for the last severalyears.
Many parents and educators have been fearful of the repercussions of having socialmedia in the c
lassroom (Kist 2012). As a result, cell phones have been banned from lecture room and schools
have blocked many popular social media websites. However, despite adult's apprehensions, stude
nts are using social media. Schools have realized that they need to incorporate these tools into th
e lecture room and rules are changing. The Peel District School Board (PDSB) in Ontario is one
of many school boards that has begun to accept the use of social media in the lecture room. In 20
13, the PDSB introduced a "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) policy and have unblocked many
social media sites. Fewkesand McCabe (2012) have researched about the benefits of using Faceb
ook in the lecture room.

28
In early 2013, Steve Joordens, a professor at the University of Toronto, encouraged the1,900 stud
ents enrolled in his introductory psychology course to add content to Wikipediapages featuring c
ontent that related to the course. Like other educators, Joordens argued that the assignment woul
d not only strengthen the site's psychology-related content, but also provide an opportunity for st
udents to engage in critical reflection about the negotiations involved in collaborative knowledge
production. However, Wikipedia's all-volunteer editorial staff complained that the students contri
butions resulted in an over whelming number of additions to the site, and that some of the contrib
utions were inaccurate.

Facebook represents a potentially useful tool in educational contexts. It allows for both asynchro
nous and synchronous, open dialogue via a familiar and regularly accessed medium, and support
s the integration of multimodal content such as student-created photographs and video and URLs
to other texts, in a platform that many students are already familiar with. Further, it allows studen
ts to ask more minor questions that they might not otherwise feel motivated to visit a professor in
person during office hours to ask (Moody2010). It also allows students to manage their own priv
acy settings, and often work with the privacy settings they have already established as registered
users. Facebook is one alternative means for shyer students to be able to voice their thoughts in a
nd outside of the lecture room. It allows students to collect their thoughts and articulate them in
writing before committing to their expression. Further, the level of informality typical to Facebo
ok can also aid students in self-expression and encourage more frequent student- and-instructor a
nd student-and-student communication. Twitter also promotes social connections among students.
It can be used to enhance communication building and critical thinking. Domizi (2013) utilized
Twitter in a graduate seminar requiring students to post weekly tweets to extend classroom discu
ssions.

Additionally, students found it "to be useful professionally and personally". Junco, Heibergert, a
nd Loken (2011) completed a study of 132 students to examine the link between social media an
d student engagement and social media and grades. They divided the students into two groups, o
ne used Twitter and the other did not. Twitter was used to discuss material, organize studygroups,
post class announcements, and connect with classmates.Junco and his colleagues (2011) found t
hat the students in the Twitter group had higherGPAs and greater engagement scores than the co
ntrol group. Gao, Luo, and Zhang (2012)reviewed literature about Twitter published between 20

29
08 and 2011. They concluded thatTwitter allowed students to participate with each other in class
(back channel), and extenddiscussion outside of class. They also reported that students used Twit
ter to get up-to-date news and connect with professionals in their field. Students reported that mi
cro blogging encouraged students to "participate at a higher level" Since the posts cannot exceed
140characters, students were required to express ideas, reflect, and focus on important conceptsi
n a concise manner. Some students found this very beneficial. Other students did not likethe char
acter limit. Also, some students found micro blogging to be overwhelming(information overload).
The research indicated that many students did not actually participate in the discussions, "they ju
st lurked".

YouTube is the most frequently used social media tool in the classroom (Moran, Seaman,& Tint
i-Kane 2012). Students can watch videos, answer questions, and discuss content.Additionally, stu
dents can create videos to share with others. Sherer and Shea (2011)claimed that YouTube increa
sed participation, personalization (customization), and productivity. YouTube also improved stud
ents' digital skills and provided opportunity for peer learning and problem solving. Eick & King
(2012) found that videos kept students' attention, generated interest in the subject, and clarified c
ourse content.

2.1.6 Problems In Schools

Social media networks, as well as other new forms of communication technology, are also a conc
ern to many school professionals because of the level of distraction they create withinthe school
(Greenfield & Subrah manyam, 2008). Even though many schools have created many strict rules
that forbid the use of handheld technology during school activities or that block certain social net
working websites, many students are still able to connect during lecture hours as they please (Gre
enfield& Subrahmanyam, 2008). This has caused distractions during instruction time and has had
a negative impact on the learning environment.

2.1.7 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW

Properly and appropriately. Other research suggests that there are clear risks involved when stud
ents become too consumed with the Internet and social networking websites. It was discovered t
hat social networking sites are the most common used social media among students and also Wik

30
ipedia has the main resort point for students for research purposes. Students engage themselves
with one activity or the other on the various social media on day to day activities. However, Und
ergraduates spend more time on Facebook, Twitter and other social media through smart phones
that are now in abundance among these youth . Many student cannot go for two-three hours with
out checking and updating their profiles on these social networks even at the detriment of other a
ctivities such as educational and career pursuit. Smart phones, android phones as well as tablets
were seen to be the major ways through which students gain easy access to the internet to be on t
he various social media network platforms. Again, this chapter discussed the age usage as well as
the gender usage of social media websites. According to most research done on the topic, the nu
mber of teenage girls and boys who communicate on these social media networks are equally div
ided. Majority of students in Nigeria visit at least one social networking site approximately twent
y times each day. Cell phones have been banned from classroom and schools have blocked many
popular social media websites due to the repercussion the social media might have on the acade
mic performance of students.

Hence, for the purposes of this research project, the researcher will examine the level ofstudent a
ddictiveness to social media, how often they use them, how they use them, andhow this is affecti
ng their academic studies. A comparison will also be made between malestudents and female stu
dents, since much research has shown a difference in SNSparticipation based on gender as well a
s in age. At the conclusion of this research project, there will be a better understanding regarding
students in lagos state university ( LASU) and whether or not they are able to balance a life of so
cial networking and academic performance.

2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The study adopted two theories to explain the effects of social media on students’ academic perf
ormance: Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Katz’s Uses and Gratification Theory. The
former theory suggests that students learn from observing and imitating others on social media,
while the latter theory suggests that students use social media to satisfy their various needs and g
ratifications.

Bandura’s social learning theory is a psychological perspective that explains how people learn
from observing others. According to this theory, people can acquire new behaviors, skills, attitud

31
es, and emotions by watching the actions and consequences of others, either directly or through
media. The theory also emphasizes the role of cognitive factors, such as attention, memory, moti
vation, and self-efficacy, in the learning process. Bandura proposed that there are four mediation
al processes that occur between observing a behavior and imitating it: attention, retention, reprod
uction, and motivation. These processes determine whether a person will learn from a model and
perform the learned behavior.

Some of the key concepts of Bandura’s social learning theory are:

● Observational learning: This is the process of learning by watching others and then imitat
ing or modeling their behavior. Observational learning can occur in various settings, such
as in the family, school, workplace, or society. Observational learning can also involve di
fferent types of models, such as live, verbal, or symbolic models.

● Modeling: This is the process of demonstrating a behavior for others to observe and imita
te. Modeling can have various effects on the observer, such as teaching new behaviors, fa
cilitating existing behaviors, inhibiting inappropriate behaviors, or arousing emotions.

● Reinforcement: This is the process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior by providin

g positive or negative consequences. Reinforcement can be external, such as rewards or p
unishments from others, or internal, such as self-praise or guilt. Reinforcement can also b
e vicarious, meaning that the observer learns from the consequences of the model’s behav
ior.

● Self-efficacy: This is the belief in one’s ability to perform a task or achieve a goal. Self-ef
ficacy influences the choices, efforts, persistence, and resilience of the learner. Self-effica
cy can be enhanced by mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, or
emotional arousal.

Bandura’s social learning theory has many applications in various fields, such as education, healt
h, criminology, sports, and media. The theory can help explain how people acquire and change th
eir behaviors, attitudes, and emotions through social interactions and influences. The theory can
also provide strategies for enhancing learning and performance, such as using effective models, p
roviding feedback, setting goals, and fostering self-efficacy.

32
Katz’s Uses and Gratification Theory is a communication theory that explains why and how p
eople use media to satisfy their needs and desires. According to this theory, people are active and
goal-oriented media users who choose media sources and content that best fulfill their expectatio
ns and gratifications. Some of the common needs and gratifications that media users seek are:

● Information: Media users seek media to acquire knowledge, learn new skills, or satisfy t
heir curiosity about various topics.

● Entertainment: Media users seek media to enjoy, relax, escape from reality, or experien
ce emotions such as humor, suspense, or horror.

● Social Interaction: Media users seek media to communicate with others, form relationshi
ps, express opinions, or seek support and advice.

● Personal Identity: Media users seek media to reinforce or challenge their values, beliefs,
and attitudes, or to explore their self-concept and identity.

Katz’s Uses and Gratification Theory was developed by Elihu Katz, Jay Blumler, and Michael G
urevitch in the 1970s, based on earlier studies of media effects and audience behavior. The theor
y has been applied to various media forms and contexts, such as television, radio, newspapers, m
agazines, internet, social media, and video games.

2.3 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The study investigates the relationship between social media and academic performance of Lago
s state students. The conceptual framework includes variables such as social media usage, acade
mic performance. The framework shows how these variables are related to each other and how th
ey influence the academic performance of students. The framework also includes the theoretical f
ramework, which provides an imaginative explanation of the problem within the topic of study.
Overall, the conceptual framework provides a clear understanding of the variables and their relati
onships in the study, which helps in analyzing the data and drawing conclusions.

2.4 HYPOTHESIS/PREPOSITION

33
The following hypotheses were formulated in this study:

Hypotheses 1: There is a positive correlation between social media usage for educational purpos
es and academic performance of students.
Hypotheses 2: There is a negative correlation between social media addiction and academic perf
ormance of students.

34
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This part here explained the method and procedure that was applied in this study. In this chapter t
he procedure was organized under the following by line: Research Design, Population of the Stu
dy, C Sample and Sampling Technique, Research Instrument, Validity of the Instrument, Method
of Data Collection, and Method of Data Analysis.The study adopted a quantitative method of res
earch, this therefore will influence the method of in-depth interview and mode of analysis will be
based on a quantitative method and outlook.

3.1 Research Design

The study adopted a quantitative method. And the study also adopted a descriptive survey.(which
involves describing the problem or situation through the results or findings of the study)to unders
tand social media and academic performance of students in Lagos state university,ojo .This desig
n is considered appropriate because it enables the researcher to generate data through the standar
dized collection procedures based on highly structured research instruments and well defined stu
dy concepts and related variables.

3.2 Study Area

Lagos State University is a public university in Nigeria that was established in 1983 by the Lagos
State government. It has four campuses in Ojo, Ikeja, Epe, and Surulere. It offers academic and p
rofessional programmes in various fields, such as arts, education, engineering, law, medicine, sci
ence, social sciences, and management sciences. It also has research, innovation, and developme
nt centres that aim to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the development of the sta
te and the nation.

Lagos State University is ranked among the top 600 universities in the world by the Times Highe
r Education World University Rankings for 2020. It is also the best young university in Nigeria a
nd the second best university in Nigeria overall, according to the same ranking.

35
3.3 The Study Population

The population in this research are all the full time undergraduate students in the University of L
agos in 2023/2024session. The total population comprised 43,362 undergraduate full-time studen
ts.

3.4 SAMPLE SIZE/SAMPLING TECHNIQUES

Purposive sampling is a non-probability sampling strategy used to choose research study particip
ants based on particular traits that are pertinent to the investigation. In the context of this study, t
he researcher will employ a purposive sampling to choose individuals who had a thorough under
standing on the effects of social media on student academic performance. As a result, the researc
her will be able to learn in-depth details about these problems directly from those who have reall
y dealt with them. The researcher purposively selected (150) students from Lagos State Universi
ty for interviews.
3.5 Data Collection Procedure

Data will be collected through the use of questionnaire and it’s administration in the selected Fac
ulties. The administration of the questionnaire were carried out by the researcher as the questionn
aire were distributed to the Students . A total of 150 copies of the questionnaire were distributed t
o elicit responses from the students and retrieved on the spot by the researcher.

3.6 The Instrument for Data collection

A well-constructed and self-developed questionnaire titled "Social Media and Academic Perform
ance of Students in Lagos State University Questionnaire (SMAAPOS)" was used to get the desi
red information from the students. The questionnaire was divided into two sections (A and B).

Section A was for collection of information on personal data of respondents while Section B con
sisted of questions that elicited responses from the respondents with response options:

Yes (Y), No (N) and Maybe (M).

Validity of the Instrument

36
The designed questionnaire was submitted to the project supervisor for vetting, correction

and approval before distributing it to the respondents.

3.7 Method of Data Analysis

The collected interview will be analyzed using. mathematical analysis.The analysis process will
involve indentifying recurring themes, patterns and insights within data. The themes will be cate
gorized and organized to provide a comprehensive understanding of social media and academic p
erformance of students in Lagos State University, Ojo

3.8 Ethical Consideration

The researcher must adhere to ethical standards and be aware of what is appropriate and inappro
priate behavior when conducting research. The confidentiality and privacy of the participants' an
swers provided during the interview will be assured. Incentives or the offer of rewards will not b
e used to bribe respondents or urge them to provide feedback on the survey's questions. The infor
mation gathered was only used for that purpose.

37
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

Introduction

This chapter presents the results and discussions from this study in three sections under

the following subheadings:

● Presentation of Demographic Data

● Discussion of Findings

4.1 Socio-demographic Characteristics of Respondents

Table 4.1.1: Distribution of respondents according to Faculty.

Faculty Frequency Percentage [%]

Social Science 48 32

Management Science 29 19

Education 34 23

Law 17 11

Art 22 15

TOTAL 150 100

Source: Fieldwork, 2023

The table shows the distribution of students from the selected faculties as follows: Social Scienc
e. 48 (32%), Management Science 29 (19%), Education 34 (23%), Law 17 (11%) and Art 22(15
%).

38
4.2 Results

Table 4.2.1 Presentation of Demographic Data.

Frequency Percentage [%]

Sex

Male 66 44

Female 84 56

Age

16-20 years 74 49

2`-25 years 64 43

26 years above 12 8

Level

100 30 20

200 39 26

300 37 25

400 31 20

500 13 9

Source: Fieldwork, 2023

The table shows the demographic data of the participants: 66 representing (44%) of the respondents were
Male and 84 representing (56%) were Female; 74 which represents (49%) of the respondents were betwee
n 16-20years. 64 which represents (43%) were between 21-25years, and 12 which represents (8%) were b
etween 26years and above; 30 (20%) of the respondents are from 100 level, 39 (26%) from 200 level, 37
(25%) from 300 level, 31 (20%) from 400 level and 13 (9%) are from 500 level.

39
Table 4.2.2: Students’ addictiveness to social media and their academic performance on Student
s Addictiveness?

Performance on Students Addictiveness to Social Media and Academics

ITEMS YES NO MAYBE TOTAL

Is your addiction to social media a problematic 94 40 16 150

issue that affect your academic performance?
[63%] [27%] [10%] [100%]

Does your addiction to social media have an eff 69 66 15 150

ect on your academic performance?
[46%] [44%] [10%] [100%]

Has your addiction to social media being a distr 62 53 35 150

action to you as a student?
[41%] [36%] [23%] [100%]

Has there been any improvement in your acade 48 56 46 150

mic performance since you started engaging in
social media? [32%] [37%] [31%] [100%]

Has academic pressure made you an addict to s 53 39 58 150

ocial media?
[35%] [26%] [39%] [100%]

PERCENTAGE [43%] [34%] [23%] [100%]

Source: Fieldwork, 2023

The table 4.2.2 shows students’ addictiveness to social media and their academic performance on

students sddictiveness. According to the table, 63percent of the respondents choose Yes, while 2

7percent choose No and 10percent choose Maybe, does your addiction to social media have an e

ffect on your academic performance. Based on this study, 46percent of the respondent choose Ye

s, while 44percent of the respondent choose No and 10percent choose Maybe. This table also sho

40
ws that 41percent have addiction to social media being a distraction to them as a student while 3

6percent does not have addiction to social media being a distraction to them as a student and 23p

ercent choose maybe. According to the table the respondents response to has there been any impr

ovement in your academic performance since you started engaging in social media was revealed

that 32percent of the respondents choose Yes, while 37percent of the respondent choose No, the t

able also revealed that 31percent of the respondent from the sample population choose Maybe.

Findings also showed that 35% of the respondents have academic pressure that made them an ad
dict to social media and 26% of the respondents does not have academic pressure that made the
m an addict to social media, while 39% of the respondents choose Maybe.

Table 4.2.3: Does the social media network that the students are more exposed to influence their
academic performance?

Exposure of Students to Social Media and Their Academic Performance.

ITEMS YES NO MAYBE TOTAL

Has academic discussion on social medi 74 35 41 150

a improved your academic performance?
[49%] [24%] [27%] [100%]

Have you ever experienced cyber bullyi 82 64 4 150

ng and negative interactions on social m
edia? [55%] [43%] [2%] [100%]

Has this experience in any way affected 28 73 49 150

your academic life?
[19%] [48%] [33%] [100%]

Do you engage in social media for leisur 65 66 19 150

e purpose?
[43%] [44%] [13%] [100%]

41
 Does this exposure affects your academi 35 84 31 150
c performance?
[23%] [56%] [21%] [100%]

PERCENTAGE [38%] [43%] [19%] [100%]

Source: Fieldwork, 2023

Table 4.2.3 shows that social media network that the students are more exposed to influence their
academic performance. According to the table, 49percent of the respondents choose Yes, while 2
4percent choose No and 27percent choose Maybe, have you ever experienced cyber bullying an
d negative interactions on social media. This study shows that 55percent of the respondent choos
e Yes, while 43percent of the respondent choose No and 2percent choose Maybe. The table also
shows that 19percent have this experience and it has affected their academic life while percent 4
8percent does not have this experience and it has not affected their academic life and 33percent c
hoose maybe. Findings also showed that 43% of the respondents engage in social media for leisu
re purpose and 44% of the respondents does not engage in social media for leisure purpose , whi
le 13% of the respondents choose Maybe. The table show the respondents response to does this e
xposure affects your academic performance that 23percent of the respondents choose Yes, while
56percent of the respondent choose No, the table also revealed that 21percent of the respondent f
rom the sample population choose Maybe.

Table 4.2.4: How has the use of social media influence the academic performance of the student
s in Lagos State University?

Use of Social Media and Students' Academic Performance.

ITEMS YES NO MAYBE TOTAL

Has the use of social media for research 98 36 16 150 [100

helped improved your grades? %]
[65%] [24%] [11%]

Do you get affected in your academic p 73 [48 49 28 150

42
 erformance since you got engaged in th %] [19%]
e use of social media?
[33%] [100%]

Do you use social media for educationa 108 34 8 150 [100

l purposes? %]
[72%] [23%] [5%]

Do you use social media for self help as 39 100 11 150

a students?
[26%] [67%] [7%] [100%]

Has the used of social media for self he 69 72 9 150

lp affected your academic performanc
[46%] [48%] [6%] [100]
e?

PERCENTAGE [51%] [39%] [10%] [100%]

Source: Fieldwork, 2023

The table 4.2.4 shows has the use of social media for research helped improved your grades. Th
e table shows 65percent of the respondents choose Yes, while 24percent choose No and 11perce
nt choose Maybe, do you get affected in your academic performance since you got engaged in th
e use of social media. Based on this study, 48percent of the respondent choose Yes, while 33perc
ent of the respondent choose No and 19percent choose Maybe. This table also shows that 72perc
ent use social media for educational purposes while 23percent does not use social media for edu
cational purposes and 5percent choose maybe. According to the table the respondents response t
o do you use social media for self help as a students was revealed that 26percent of the responde
nts choose Yes, while 67percent of the respondent choose No, the table also revealed that 7perce
nt of the respondent from the sample population choose Maybe. The table also showed that 46per

43
cent of the respondents used social media for self help and affect their academic performance an
d 48percent of the respondents does not used social media for self help and does not affect their a
cademic performance, while 6percent of the respondents choose Maybe.

Table 4.2.5: Is there difference in the types of Social Media exposed to by Students?

Types of Social Media Exposed to by Students.

ITEMS YES NO MAYBE TOTA

L

Do you think social media made you easy 82 30 38 150

as a student?
[55%] [20%] [25%] [100%]

Do you feel social media affects your a 77 [51 42 [28 31 150

bility-to focus and concentrate in school? %] %]
[21%] [100%]

Do you think there are specific chall 41 79 30 150

enges faced with the type of social media
[27%] [53%] [20%] [100%]
student used?

Has there been any difference in your stu 52 50 48 150

dies since you get exposed to social medi
[35%] [33%] [32%] [100]
a?

Do you think there are specific chall 60 50 40 150

enges faced with the type of social media

44
 student used? [40%] [33%] [27%] [100%]

PERCENTAGE [42%] [33%] [25%] [100%]

Source: Fieldwork, 2023

Table 4.2.5 shows that social media made it for them easy as a student. According to the table, 5
5percent of the respondents choose Yes, while 20percent choose No and 25percent choose Mayb
e, do you feel social media affects your ability-to focus and concentrate in school. This study sh
ows that 51percent of the respondent choose Yes, while 28percent of the respondent choose No a
nd 21percent choose Maybe. The table also shows that 27percent think there are specific ch
allenges faced with the type of social media student used while percent 53percent does not think
there are specific challenges faced with the type of social media student used and 20percent choo
se maybe. Findings also showed that 35percent of the respondents have difference in their studie
s since they get exposed to social media and 33percent of the respondents does not have differen
ce in their studies since they get exposed to social media, while 32percent of the respondents cho
ose Maybe. The table show the respondents response to do you think there are specific challenge
s faced with the type of social media student used that 40percent of the respondents choose Yes,
while 33percent of the respondent choose No, the table also revealed that 27percent of the respon
dent from the sample population choose Maybe.

4.3 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

There have been several studies that have investigated the relationship between social media use
and academic performance in students. Some studies have found that excessive social media use
is associated with lower academic performance, while others have found no significant relationsh
ip. The primary motives for using social networks for them are the search for friends, classmates
and communication with them. The time spent on informal organizations enables most responde
nts to compose their own particular relaxation time, and in addition get ready for exams. Most st
udents spend around 65% of their time using social media.

45
Almost half of those surveyed admit that using the social network helped them in their personal l
ives and communicating with friends, organizing leisure and in search of interest groups, some ar
gue that social networks did not affect their way of life in any way, and only a few acknowledge
d that social networks had influenced on their free time, 63% caused addiction. Summing up, it s
hould be noted that social networks, becoming an integral part of the students’ full life, took up
most of their free time. Often, the student does not have time to absorb the information received i
n the lessons. After all, in the phone or tablet screen, there are things much more interesting - cor
respondence with peers, news tapes, all kinds of social networks, and, of course, YouTube video
s. Also, all the free time a student can spend on the internet. Instead of doing sports, reading a bo
ok, chatting with their peers "live," preparing for lessons or just walking, he will spend time on s
ocial media . Of course, this negatively affects their physical and intellectual development.

Undoubtedly, in social media, there are also things useful for the development of the student - a l
ot of educational groups on Facebook and educational videos from YouTube. In addition, comm
unication with peers through social media can help a student socialize, find new friends, discuss
with them issues related to studies. In addition, social media , students can relax for a while and
get distracted from the everyday college routine.

46
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

INTRODUCTION

Social media is started when people start to communicate. Social means human society, as interf
erence of people & the groups and word media is the medium of expressions. Most of the forms
of social media are not digital. It generates a large number of innovations and Social Media is on
e of the biggest inventions of technology, which is now most popular and widely used. The inven
tion of smart phone has increase the usage of social media. It enables users to access multiple soc
ial networking sites through just few clicks these social Medias has a great impact on students on
which large number of researches has been conducted and each research shows unique results. S
ome studies prove that social media negatively affect the performance of students while accordin
g to some researches it improves the learning of its users and improve their communications skill.
In this chapter, the summary of the study, conclusion, recommendations and references are prese
nted.

5.1 SUMMARY BASED ON THE OBJECT IVE OF STUDY

This study investigated social media and academic performance of the students in Lagos state uni
versity. The descriptive survey research design was adopted in the study. A sample of 50 respond
ents was selected from the 5 faculties of full time undergraduate students in the Lagos state univ
ersity. A simple random sampling technique was used for the selection, where forty (50) students
were randomly selected from the eight (5) faculties in Lagos state university. A self-developed L
ikert-type scale titled “Social Media and Academic Performance of Students Questionnaire (SM
AAPOS)” thoroughly scrutinized by the project supervisor was used for data collection. The instr
ument was validated and found to be reliable. It was personally administered by the researcher. T
he data collected were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics of frequency count and perc
entage.

Furthermore, the research was problematized in the problem statement, and other ambiguous wor
ds or concepts used were simplified in the study.

47
The second chapter of the study therefore reviewed relevant literatures for proper insights of prev
iously done research relating to the research topic, also the theoretical and conceptual framework
were also included in this chapter. The literatures were reviewed in order to have background kn
owledge and also to see areas in which research had been previously carried out on. The theoreti
cal framework also served as an imaginative explanation of the problem within the topic of study,
giving room for proper pictorial description of all variables in the conceptual framework.

Chapter three gave a full insight on the adopted research methodology, and the study was more o
f exploratory and descriptive in nature of design, adopting a quantitative method in the realm of
data collection by which the data was collected through the distribution and completion of questi
onnaires, providing a comprehensive understanding of the diverse perspectives and experiences o
f Lagos State University (LASU) students in the methods of data collection. The data were also a
nalyzed based on the content. This chapter also indicated the study area and the instrument for da
ta collection was a well-structured questionnaire carrying about twenty questions including the se
ction for demographic characteristics.

The fourth chapter therefore involved the analyzing, interpretation and presentation of the data c
ollected in the field. The method of data analysis employed for this study exclusively involved q
uantitative approaches. Through statistical techniques, patterns, correlations, and numerical insig
hts were extracted, offering a structured understanding of the characteristics and social effects of
product advertisements on social media among Lagos State University (LASU) students.

The study, therefore, demonstrates comprehensive understanding of the social Media and acade
mic performance targeting Lagos State University [LASU] students.

5.3 CONCLUSION

The result from the findings of this study showed that, though Social media have negative effects
on teenagers such as lack of privacy, distracting students from their academic work, taking most
of their productive time, and such like, they also have benefits and can be used appropriately. For
instance, students can form online communities in order to plan for a project, have group discussi
ons about class material, or use the Social Media Platform as a way to keep in contact when a stu
dent who has been absent needs to be updated on current academic information. The findings of t

48
his study and earlier ones showed some noteworthy results. The first independent variable influe
ncing the academic performance of students, that is, social media participation was negatively rel
ated with students' outcome, while the other independent variables were positively related with st
udents' outcome. The results of this study suggest that lecturers should come up with a template
on how their students can maximize the benefits of Social media, that school management should
incorporate rules and regulations on the use of the social media in the school and, that the govern
ment should put in place adequate control measures to regulate their use among students and lect
urers.

5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS

In the light of the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made:

1. Students should be educated on the influence of Social media on their academic performa
nce.

2. Students should be monitored by Lecturers and parents on how they use these sites.

3. Lecturers should ensure they use the social media as a tool to improve the academic perfo
rmance of students in class.

4. Students should better manage their study time in and prevent distractions that can be pro
vided by the social media. There should be a decrease in the number of time spent by stud
ents when surting the net.

5. Social Media platforms should be expanded and new pages should be created to enhance
academic activities and avoid setbacks in the students' academic performance.

6. The students should create a balance between chit-chatting and academic activities. More
attention should be directed to research.

7. The use of Social media by students should focus on the academic relevance of those site
s instead of using them for negative purposes.

49
5.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES

This study serves as a basis for further research study on Social media and the academic perform
ance of students. Similar studies should be conducted in other states of the federation so as to bri
ng about improvement in the academic performance of students through the use of Social media
and to create more pages for research and academic activities, thereby avoiding distraction which
leads to deviation from their academic works.

50
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56
 QUESTIONNAIRE

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES,

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY,

LAGOS STATE UNIVERSITY, OJO

SOCIAL MEDIA AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN LAGOS STA

TE UNIVERSITY, OJO

Dear respondents,

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of Social media on the academic performan
ce of students in Lagos State University, Ojo.

Please read carefully and tick () the appropriate column foreach statement as promptly as possibl
e. All information gathered shall be used purely for research purpose and shall be treated with co
nfidentiality.

Thanks,

SECTION A (DEMOGRAPHIC DATA)

Faculty:________________________________

Sex:Male [ ]Female [ ]

Age:16 – 20 [ ]21 – 25 [ ]26 and Above [ Level:100 []200 [ ]300 [ ] 400 [] 500 []

57
 SECTION B

Y- Yes, N- No, M- Maybe.

S/N ITEMS YES NO MAYBE

STUDENTS ADDICTIVENESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

1
Is your Addiction to social media a problematic issues that
affect your academic performance?

2
Does your addiction to social media have an effect on you
r academic performance?

3
Has your addiction to social media being a distraction to y
ou as a student?

4
Has there been any improvement in your academic perfor
mance since you started engaging in social media?

5 Has academic pressure made you an addict to social medi

a?

EXPOSURE OF STUDENTS TO SOCIAL MEDIA A

ND THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

6
Has academic discussions on social media improved your
academic performance?

7
Have you ever experienced cyber bullying and negative in
teractions on social media?

8
Has this experience in anyway affected your academic lif
e?

9
Does this exposures affect your academic performance?

58
10 Do you engage in social media for liesure purpose

USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND STUDENTS ACADE

MIC PERFORMANCE

Has the use of social media for research helped improved

11 your grades?

12
Do you get affected in your academic performance Since
you get engaged in the use of social media?

Do you use social media for educational purposes?

13

Do you use social media for self help as a stydent?

14

Has the use of social media for self help affected your aca
15 demic performance?

TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSED TO BY STU

DENTS

Do you think social media made you life easy as a studen

16 t?

Do you feel social media affects your ability-to focus and

17 concentrate in school?

Do you think there are specific challenges faced with the t

18 ype of social media student used?

Has there been any difference in your studies since you ge

19 t exposed to social media?

59
 Do you get affected by using social media excessively?
20

60