Paul Kirschner and Aryn Karpinski define Facebook and other social network sites as an online directory that allows people to find their friends, family and colleagues through looking them up on social network sites (Kirschner and Karpinsk, 2010). Curtis states that teens all over the world are starting to lose interest in the use of Facebook and are using Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram (Curtis, 2013).
By this, it is safe to conclude that there is no negative impact from the use of social media on the academic performance of the school students, and it is proven by the Chi Square analysis, which resulted with no significant relationship or difference between both the frequency of using social media with the overall grade average; and with the number of hours spent daily on studying. As stated by (El-Badawy T. & Hashem Y. 2015)
Mensah S. (2016). concluded that social media platforms have a significant impact on students’ academic performance in Malaysia tertiary institution. Nevertheless, among the six variables used in this research, time appropriateness and health addiction has a stronger significant influence on students’ academic performance. This is because time management plays an essential role in determining the success or failure of an individual. Thus students who lack time management can easily fall prey to the negative impact which social media platforms present to its uses. Likewise, health addiction, students who are engrossed with social media platforms ends up skipping their meals which has a health impact on them. Such students become malnourished and could possibly fall ill which is will directly have an impact on students. Also, the nature of usage and friend-people connection has an impact also on the performance of students but not ISSN: 2289-6694 Page 20 as impactful as the aforementioned variable. Finally, time duration and security/privacy problems have minimal or no significant influence on students’ academic performance.
(Hussain Z. & Griffiths M. December, 2018) found that, this systematic review demonstrates that PSNSU and psychiatricdisorder symptoms co-occur, particularly in adolescents.Most associations were found between PSNSU, depression,and anxiety.
It is without doubt that social media is and will remain an important tool in human life as far communication is concerned. The nature of social media as a useful servant but a dangerous master” and a two edge sword has been revealed in the findings of the study that, despite the benefits that students can harness from social media networks such as sharing of information, building relationship, partaking in group discussions from near and far among others, there is to some extent addiction and distraction of attention caused by the use of social media which could have serious consequences on the academic life of students. As Kolan B. (February, 2018) stated.
