Background
The growing popularity of social networking and online communication has raised an issue of the influence of these activities on the daily performance of the individuals. The professional achievements were proved to suffer from social networking as a major distraction. Also, there exist links between the use of social media and academic performance (HNGN par. 1). Lifespan reports that contemporary youth may spend as many as 12 hours a day chatting online (par. 1). Moreover, two studies conducted in Ghana explored the impact of social media on the academic success of college and high school students and found that social networks are used for procrastination and have a harmful impact on learning (Owusu-Acheaw and Larson 94; Mingle and Adams 3).
Problem Statement
While the use of technology has been considered an overall positive impact on studying and education process, certain features are definitely harmful when abused (Carter 1). The variety of social networks is wide, and any student may get distracted especially now that they are the major means for keeping up with the peers, the society, and the world in general (Ndaku 15).
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to determine how the academic performance of college students is influenced by the use of social media.
Research Question
What is the impact of social media on the academic performance of college students?
Scope
This study will analyze the effect produced by the use of social media on the academic performance of college students and determine the following outcomes:
- Positive impacts.
- Negative impacts.
- The overall nature of influence on academic performance.
- Potential ways to address the issue.
- Size and effect of the impact produced by social media.
Relevance
In the contemporary world, this topic is highly relevant because the use of the social media is widespread and it is very likely to have a significant effect on the academic performance of college students. It is important to know how exactly the influence is produced and whether or not it should be minimized or emphasized.
Design (type, data collection, sampling, analysis)
Research Type
The research will be conducted in a descriptive manner covering the findings of many other studies and articles concerning the chosen topic of focus.
Data Collection Method
The selected method of data collection is the literature review. In particular, the research will be carried out by means of locating and analyzing versatile scholarly sources (books, studies, online articles, and other documents) for a purpose to sum up the findings and evidence and answer the research question.
Sampling
The sources that match the research topic will be sampled by means of using Google search engine. The located sources will be sorted by date (the most recent ones will be preferred) and by their quality and reliability (books and journal articles will be favored over blog posts, for example).
Data Analysis
The collected data will be analyzed by means of grouping the findings and summing up the most prevalent tendencies documented by the researchers and authors.
Timeframe
The time frame of the research will depend fully on the size of the study and the number of sources processed. The approximate number of sources that are planned to be reviewed for this study is ten.
Budget
The budget of the study will be minimal and the primary resources used will be the time of the author and their critical thinking.
Works Cited
Carter, Denny. Number 1: Social media has negative impact on academic performance. 2014. Web.
HNGN. Social Media’s Negative Effect on Academic Performance. 2013. Web.
Lifespan. Texting, social networking and other media use linked to poor academic performance. 2013. Web.
Mingle, Jeffrey and Musah Adams. “Social Media Network Participation and Academic Performance in Senior High Schools in Ghana.” Library Philosophy and Practice Paper 1286 (2015): 1-52. 2016.
Ndaku, Anjugu Jessica. “Impact of social media on students’ academic performance.”
Caritas University (2009): 1-67. 2016
Owusu-Acheaw, Michael and Agatha Gifty Larson. “Use of Social Media and its Impact on Academic Performance of Tertiary Institution Students: A Study of Students of Koforidua Polytechnic, Ghana.” Journal of Education and Practice 6.6 (2015): 94-101. 2016. Web.