INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Crime and its rate of infections are geometrically retarding Nigerian educational development. This manifestation is greatly retarding students' ethical morale and academic performance beyond reasonable doubt. This is traceable to students' abuse and haphazard use of social media; if the situation persists will not only lowering education standard but also cause, a great damage to humanity. It is on this perception that this study examines impacts of social media on students' academic performance. The study adopted a qualitative and non- experimental design to obtain data from respondents using a purposeful random sampling of 193 students (JSS3-SSS3) from selected public secondary in Ekiti State. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire which was validated and pre-tested for 2 reliability (R = 78). Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The results showed that most of the respondents spent 4-5 hours on communication devices, (33.7%) accessed and interacted daily with social device, 34.2% respondents most-often used social- media device for social networking, skillfulness in computers were file renaming (x=1.37, SD=0.736). Also, social media positive influence on respondents included school subject note sharing x=2.27, SD=0.83), wider spread (x=2.15, SD=0.81) and assessment of useful information (x=2.08, SD=0.80) while negative effects of social media held at greater respondents' exposure to social vices(x=2.27, SD=0.83), provocative photos and videos uploading (x=2.15, SD=0.81), time wastage in chatting and surfing (x=2.08, SD=0.80), teen prone to pornography and exposure to sexual images (x2.04, SD=0.81) low academic mindset (x=2.00, SD=0.90) and decline passion to study (x=1.95, SD=0.83). The study concluded that social media is a future means of instructional communication, array of internet tools and platforms that is prone to increase and enhance teaching-learning for effectiveness through sharing of education instructions in schools yet, the platform should dare to erode the cons. However, study recommended that, well-meaning student, parent, school management, government and non-governmental organizations should try to provide check and balance to social media usage without hurting teaching learning culture and ethics.