IMPACT OF STUDENT’S ACCESSIBILITY TO SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF MOUNTAIN TOP UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The study examined the exposure and academic performance of students of Mountain Top University. The population for the study (230) which was used as the sample size questionnaire was used to elicit information from respondents. Frequency tables were used to analyse the objectives from which it was revealed that students were aware of the social media, they have access to them through social media have negative effects on students, distracting them from their academic work, taking most of their productive time, and such like, they also have benefits and can be used appropriately. Students can form online communities to plan for a project, have group discussions about class material, or use the social media as a technique to keep in contact when a student who has been absent needs to be updated on current academic information. Also, the study indicated that they are influenced to a great extent by the social media negatively because the attention of the limited attention given to their studies instead, they focused on chatting and music while their academic activities are ongoing and the neglected will be left to suffer. Given this, results, the study recommends that lecturers should come up with a template on how their students can maximize the benefits of social media, that is school management should incorporate rules and regulations on the use of the social media let alone phones in the school, and the management must be able to regulate the use of social media within the school by the students. Social networking sites should be expanded and new pages should be created to enhance academic activities to avoid setbacks in the students’ academic performance. The students should create a balance between chit-chatting and academic activities. More attention should be directed to research. There should be a decrease in the number of times spent by students when surfing the internet. The impact of social media on the academic performance of students should focus more on the positive side than on the negative side to achieve balance.