Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

I.THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Social media [technology] has become a growing phenomenon with many and

varied definitions in public and academic use. For our purposes, the term social media

technology (SMT) refers to web-based and mobile applications that allow individuals

and organizations to create, engage, and share new user-generated or existing content,

in digital environments through multi-way communication.

Social networking communities are here to stay. Facebook has over 500 million

users, while Twitter has over 200 million. That’s not even counting blogs or YouTube

video blogs. There’s no doubt that students are actively engaged in online communities,

but what kind of effects are these sites having especially on the academic performance

of students.

Lots of studies proved how social media affects education. Mostly are negative.

Students are having a harder time getting to communicate face to face with people, and

are losing their people skills, due to that they are spending more and more time talking

from behind a screen. In addition, the attention to details, attention to pronunciation and

grammar, has declined drastically, due to that most of the communication that happens

online is not proper.

Not only that. The ability of the students to retain information has decreased, and

the willingness to spend more time researching and looking up good information has

reduced, due the fact that we got used to the ease of accessibility to information on

social media.

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Social Media had become a major distraction to students, causing the overall

performance of students to decline, especially the ones who tend to check their

Facebook and twitter while studying. Reynol Junco (2012) in his article named too much

face and not enough books: The relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use

and academic performance. Found that that time spent on Facebook and checking

Facebook were negatively related to overall GPA, and time spent on Facebook is

slightly negatively related to time spent studying. In addition, the ability of time spent on

Facebook to significantly predict overall GPA shows that there may be negative

academic effects for students who use Facebook in certain ways.

Moreover, Rosen, Carrier, and Cheever 2013 wrote an article named Facebook

and texting made me do it: Media induced task-switching while studying. They believe

that this area is a technologically rich world, where multitasking is the norm and is more

prominent among youth and college students. In their research they found out that

students manage to do their work and also interact with the virtual environment

effectively. Facebook has nearly one billion users worldwide (Smith, 2012) with more

than 90% of teens (Common Sense Media, 2012) and college students (Junco, 2011)

actively engaged. However, as results the authors found that corroborating the work on

the impact of social media on academic performance, participants who accessed

Facebook one or more times during the study period had lower grade point averages.

Furthermore, Junco (2011) discovered that sharing links and checking up with friends

on Facebook more often predicted higher college grades; making status updates more

often predicted lower grades; and that overall GPA dropped 12 points for every 93 min

above the average of 106 min per day spent on Facebook.

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

This study purposes to add more proofs how social media disturbs, distracts and

hinders students of PSBA in gaining an academic stability or progress.

Statement of Problem

The main purpose of this research is to expand on previous research, explore the

relationship between the effects of social networking and students’ study efficiency, and

to determine if social media interfering with students’ academic lives.

Research Questions:

1. Which is the most popular social media site for students?

2. How many respondents spend more time in utilizing media?

3. How many respondents spend less time in utilizing media?

4. Is there any significant relationship between the GWA of those who spend more

time in utilizing social media and the GWA of those who spend less?

Statement of the Hypothesis

1. Facebook is the most popular social media site for students.

2. Most of the respondents spend more time in social media than doing school

related activities.

3. There is a significant relationship between the GWA of those who spend more

time in social media and the GWA of those who spend less.

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Significance of the Study

The findings in this study will make the students more aware about how social

media negatively affect their studies and to help them realize that they need to balance

their time between social media and studies.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focuses primarily in exposing the unfavorable effect of social media in

the academic performance of the accountancy students of PSBA year 2015-2016.

Conceptual Paradigm
Unfavorable Relationship of Social Media in the
Academic Performance of Accountancy Students of
PSBA-Manila Year 2015-2016

number of respondents number of respondents

spend more time in social s spend less time in social
media media
GWA of the students

GWA of those students who GWA of those students who

spend more time in social media spend less time in social media

Conceptual Framework

The study is anchored on the conceptualized paradigm that showed the various

components of the study and the variables involved: The number of respondents who

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

spend more time in social media and those who spend lesser, and the comparison

between the GWA of the students who spend more time in social media and those who

invest more time in school related activities are shown in figure 1, 2 and 3.

Definition of Terms

The researchers use the following terms in order to obtain understanding of the

readers of this paper and also to the future users of this paper.

 Academic performance. The outcome of education the extent to which a

student achieved their educational goals.

 Facebook. A popular free social networking website that allows registered users

to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch

with friends, family and colleagues.

 GWA. General weighted average, a representation (often numerical) of the

overall scholastic standing of students used for evaluation. GWA is based on the

grades in all accounting subjects taken at a particular level including subjects

taken outside of the curriculum.

 Instagram. An online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing, and social networking

service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, and share them either

publicly or privately on the app, as well as through a variety of other social

networking platforms.

 Social Media. Websites and applications that enable users to create and share

content or to participate in social networking.

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

 Twitter. A free microbloging, or social messaging tool that lets you stay

connected to people through tweets, a Twitter-specific post that can contain up to

140 characters, images, or videos.

II. SURVEY OF RELATED LITERATURE

Social Network

The increased use of Social Networking Websites has become an international

phenomenon in the past several years. What started out as a hobby for some computer

literate people has become a social norm and way of life for people from all over the

world (Boyd, 2007). Teenagers and young adults have especially embraced these sites

as a way to connect with their peers, share information, reinvent their personalities, and

showcase their social lives (Boyd, 2007).

From childhood to adolescence, social networks play a central role in shaping

individuals' attitude toward education (Coleman 1961). The psychology and sociology

literature suggests that various kinds of social networks have different impacts on

individual behavior. 8 This literature has examined the relationship between friendship

networks and children’s educational outcomes and social well-being, but it presents

evidence that is generally cross-sectional in nature, with little attention paid to a

potential correlation between omitted variables related to social networks.

Since the early years of social networking popularity, research has been done in

order to find out how this technology was affecting youth (Bryant, Sanders-Jackson, &

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Smallwood, 2006). Though the early trend was to believe that these sites would

negatively affect adolescent communication, other researchers believed that

technological communication would benefit many teenagers who had trouble expressing

their thoughts and feelings face-to-face (Bryant, Sanders-Jackson, & Smallwood, 2006).

Though the argument continues to be studied and analyzed, it is still a question that

many researchers want answered. By looking at the most popular social networking

devices, several conclusions can be made as to why these social tools are popular with

young adults.

Perusing Facebook, sending rapid-fire text messages, and tweeting back and

forth with friends and celebrities alike might not be the best academic strategy, it turns

out.

Mobile Phone

Nearly four in 10 college students said they could not go 10 minutes without

checking one of their mobile devices, “about the same amount of time it takes to walk to

class,” according to a 2011 study by CourseSmart, a leading eTextbook company

based in California.

Almost every one of the 500 college students surveyed – 98 percent – said they

own a digital device, and many said the technology made more time for their busy

schedules. Eighty-five percent of respondents said their devices save time while

studying – an average of two hours a day.

To support the abovementioned studies here is a sample of a testimony. Kate

Caroll, a junior history major at the University of Maryland, College Park, said she

checks her smartphone “pretty incessantly,” inside and outside of class.

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

“The phone never leaves my side, wherever I am,” said Carroll, 33, who has

connected with online friends since the mid-1990s, when she frequented web-based

bulletin board systems (BBSs). “Even if I’m at home watching TV, I’ll have the phone in

my hand, and at the very least, I recheck Facebook during every commercial. I’ll also

check it at every red light while I’m driving, and every stop sign if there isn’t anyone

behind me.”

Social Media

For the study, Walsh and her colleagues interviewed 483 freshmen women

during from a northeast university. Researchers noted 11 different forms of media use

that had an impact on academics, which included television, movies, music, surfing the

Internet, social networking, talking on a cell phone, texting, magazines, newspapers,

non-school-related books and video games. Students were asked to report an average

time spent on any forms of media throughout the previous week. Students were also

asked to report their grades in the academics for the fall and spring semesters and their

intellectual confidence, behavior and troubles, the report said.

As a result, researchers listed that cell phones, social networking, television and

magazines had severe impact on students' academic results for their fall semesters.

Walsh further noted that students who spent more time engaging in these forms of

media, had "fewer academic behaviors, such as completing homework and attending

class, lower academic confidence and more problems affecting their school work, like

lack of sleep and substance use."

Researchers noted that the major use of social media among the students was

found to be more on campus than off. Walsh suggested that professors could use social

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

media as a means of communicating with their students in reminding of their

assignments and referring them to helpful resources that could fetch them higher

grades in academics.

Also limiting media use within the college campus, especially in classrooms could

go a long way, researchers said. (Emerging Adulthood Journal)

In response to the question of how much time that adolescents are spending on

social network websites, here is a study. Adolescents have become accustomed to this

lifestyle much more than older generations have in recent years, as this way of living is

all they know (Lewis, 2008). Teenagers now use the Internet for the majority their daily

activities and information gathering, as opposed to older generations who used

resources like the television or newspaper (Lewis, 2008). A recent survey showed that

approximately ninety percent of teens in the United States have Internet access, and

about seventy-five percent of these teens use the Internet more than once per day (Kist,

2008). This study also showed that approximately half of all teens who have Internet

access are also members of social networking sites, and use the Internet to make plans

and socialize with friends (Kist, 2008). As one researcher stated, “Teens use [the

Internet] as an extension of their personality, to show their friends-and the world- who

they are, what they care about, and to build connections with other like-minded people”

(Goodman, 2007, 84). It is THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING

PARTICIPATION 16 estimated that the vast majority of teenagers in the United States

visit at least one social networking site approximately twenty times each day (Peter &

Valkenburg, 2009).

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Though there have been many social, economic, and environmental factors that

have added to the pressure of high school students in the past ten years, the drop-out

rate for students is still a major national problem (Bowen, 2008). Current statistics show

that high school students in the United States are under increased pressure due to

higher academic standards in many parts of the country, and it has become more

important than ever for educators to encourage graduation and further education

(Bowen, 2008). However, with more and more adolescents being preoccupied with

social networking sites and technological social lives, how will this affect their studies? It

is estimated that even those students who 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, 2008).

The top academic areas that many school professionals are concerned about are

English (ELA) and advanced literacy (Williams, 2008). The current generations of teens

live in a fast-paced technological world with many different types of communication

happening all at the same time. For example, he or she may be on the computer on a

SNS, while also talking on the phone, sending instant messages to a friend, and

emailing someone else all at the same time (Williams, 2008). While there may be some

advantages to this, such as the teen learning how to type faster and multi-task many

things at once, there may also be a breakdown in much of that communication

(Williams, 2008). Literacy has also taken a dive in the past decade, which has caused

many educators to question what 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 reality, the cornerstone of student

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

achievement, for any student, in any grade” (Wise, 2009, 373). The question that many

school professionals have with regards to communication is whether or not a high

school student is able to follow school curriculum in subjects like English or Language

Arts (Williams, 2008). Also, will it be possible to teach them without the use of multi-

tasking and using new forms of technology?

Social networking sites, as well as other new forms of communication

technology, are also a concern to many school professionals because of the level of

distraction they create within the school (Greenfield & Subrahmanyam, 2008). Even

though many schools have created many strict rules that forbid the use of handheld

technology during school or that block certain social networking websites, many

adolescents are still able to connect during school hours as they please (Greenfield &

Subrahmanyam, 2008). This has caused distractions during instruction time and has

had a negative impact on the learning environment.

III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

This chapter reflects the procedures and processes undertaken by the

researcher to finish the study. Included are research design, sample design and

procedures, respondents of the study, research instrument, data collection, and

statistical treatment of data.

Research Design

This study utilized descriptive-survey type of research wherein the researchers

employed only one research instrument to gather the necessary data. A descriptive

study is concerned with conditions, relationships that exist, options that are held, effects

that are evident or trends that are developing at the time the investigation was done. It

is primarily concerned with the present status, it often considers past events and

influences as they relate to current conditions (Calderon, and Gonzales 1993 as cited

by Dimacali 2011).

Sample Design and Procedure

This study includes 100 students who are randomly picked from the chosen

school. The researchers aimed to conduct and collect data from the respondents.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study are the Accounting students of PSBA for the school

year 2015-2016. One hundred students are selected to accomplish the questionnaire

that will be given.

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Research Instrument

This research used a questionnaire to gather the necessary data. The

questionnaire was divided into three parts. Part I dealt with the respondents’ profile, Part

II included questions that deal with social media and academic performance of the

students.

Validation of the Instrument

The draft questionnaire was presented first to the researchers’ adviser for

improvement before it was presented to three English teachers for validation.

IV. PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data

gathered in answering the problems connected to the relationship of Social

Media with Academic Performance of PSBA-Manila, BSA Students. Based from

the gathered data from the survey tool interpretations were derived.

Profile:

In terms of gender, the total

Gender of the Respondents
respondents has one

Male hundred (100) in total

34%
composing of thirty-four (34)

or 34% of male and sixty-six

Female
66% (66) or 66% female.

Figure 1

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

As regards to the age of the

Age of the Respondents
respondents, 16-18 years of
22
years 16-18
age has sixteen percent (16%) old and years
above old
22% 16%
, 19-21 years of age has sixty-

two percent (62%) and 22

years old and above for the 19-21 years old

62%
remaining.

Figure 2

As for the respondents’ corresponding

Year Level
year level, there is one percent (1%)
1st Year 2nd Year
1% 5% from first year. There are five percent
5th Year 3rd Year
38% 26% (5%) from second year, twenty six

percent (26%) from third year; thirty

4th Year
30% percent (30%) and thirty eight percent

from fourth and fifth year respectively.

Figure 3

Students who do have Social Media

Accounts

Figure 4 shows the sum of the responses of

the students who do have social media

Yes
100%
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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

accounts. As a result, a total of one hundred percent (100%) responded that they do

have their social accounts.

Figure 4

Most Used Social Media Figure 5 shows the sum of

students’ responses regarding the

Twit - most used social media. Sixty

Others
ter 2%
15% seven percent (67%) from the

Instagram users of Facebook, sixteen percent

16%
(16%) and fifteen percent (15%)
Facebook
67%
active users of Instagram and

Twitter respectively; and two

Figure 5 percent (2%) from other social

sites such as Snapchat and Youtube .

Number of Active Accounts they Have

Figure 6 shows the sum of students’ responses More than three

3%
regarding the number of active accounts they Three
26%
have. Fifty percent (50%) from the users have One
50%
one active account only, twenty six percent

Two
21% Page 15

Figure 6
Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

(26%) have three active accounts, twenty one percent (21%) have two active accounts, and

three percent (3%) have more than three active accounts.

How often do Students Visit Social

networking Sites Figure 7 shows the sum of

students’ responses asking on

how often they visit social

5 hours less than an hour
above 12% networking sites. Thirty two
25%
percent (32) of them visit
1-2 hours
31% networking sites for almost three
3-4 hours
32%
to four hours, thirty one percent

(31%) for one to two hours,

Figure 7
twenty five percent of them (25%) for

above five hours, and twelve

percent (12%) spend time for less than an hour.

Gadget they Use When Using Social Sites

Figure 8 shows the sum of

students’ responses regarding the lap- others

desk top 3%
top 10%
type of gadget they use when 4%

using social sites. Eighty four

percent of them (84%) use

cellphones while using social cell phone

84%

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Figure 8
Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

sites, ten percent (10%) use laptop, three percent (3%) use desktop, and also three

percent (3%) of them use other gadgets .

Figure 9 shows the sum of

Awareness of Parents regarding Social students’ responses regarding if
Media
their parents are aware of their

No social networking activities. Ninety

9%

one percent (91%) of them

answered yes, that their parents

are aware of their social networking

Yes
91% activities and only nine percent
Figure 9
(9%) answered no.

Figure 10 shows the sum of students’ Social Media are Important to Students

responses as to the importance of social

No
media as if they are or not. Ninety seven 3%

percent (97%) of them answered yes it is

important to have social networking

accounts and only three percent (3%)

Yes
answered no. 97%

Figure 10

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Figure 11 shows the sum

Time spent on academic works
of students’ responses
less than an hour
8% regarding the time spent in
5 hours above 1-2 hours
25% 22% doing their assignments,

research work, and

3-4 hours
45%
studying lessons. Forty

five percent (45%) of them

Figure 11

spend time for three to

four hours, twenty five percent (25%) for above five hours, twenty two percent

(22%) for about one to two hours, and eight percent (8%) for less than an hour.

Posting or responding while reviewing or studying

Figure 12 shows the sum of students’ lessons

responses asking if they post or

No
24%
respond while they are reviewing or

studying their lessons. Seventy six

percent (76%) of them answered they

post while they are reviewing and only

Yes
twenty four percent (24%) answered 76%

no. Figure 12

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Figure 13 shows the sum of

Use of Social Media
students’ responses

for enter- regarding the use of social

tainment
and fun to do as-
only signments media. Twenty eight percent
28% 22%

(28%) answered they use

to make social media for

friends
for motiva- 15%
tion in stud- entertainment and fun only,
ies for long distance
12% communication
23% twenty three percent (23%)
Figure 13
answered for long distance

communication, twenty two percent (22%) it is for doing assignments, fifteen

percent (15%) said to make new friends, and twelve percent (12%) said it is for

motivation in studies.

Figure 14 shows the sum of students’

Successful in Class
responses regarding the level of motivation
Ne
A little ith
to be successful in class. Fifty one percent 7% er
1
%
(51%) answered they are very motivated to

be successful in class, forty one Very motivated

51% Somewhat
41%
percent(41%) answered for somewhat

motivated, one percent(1%) answered

Figure 14

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

neither motivated are they, seven percent(7%) answered a little motivated are they,

and zero percent(0%) answered they are not motivated at all.

Figure 15 shows the sum of students’

How Social Sites Affect Re-
spondents' Studies responses on how these social sites

Bad affect their studies. Seventy one

7%
Good
22% percent (71%) answered that these

social sites affect their studies fairly,

twenty-two percent (22%) answered it

Fair
71% affect their studies at good, and seven

percent (7%) answered that these

Figure 15 social media badly affect their studies.

Figure 16 shows the sum of students’ Latest or Standing GWA on Accounting Sub-
jects
responses on their latest or standing

GWA on accounting subjects. Five

Above average
percent (5%) answered at above (1.00-1.50) Failed (2.51-5.00)
5% 5%
average, thirty nine percent (39%)
Average (1.51-
answered at average, fifty one percent 2.00)
39% Below average
(2.01-2.50)
(51%) answered at below average, and 51%

five percent (5%) answered failed.

Figure 16

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Figure 17 shows the sum

Having a Better Grade by Not Using Soical
Media
of students’ thinking that
No they will get a better grade
27%

by not using social.

Seventy three percent

(73%) answered yes and

Yes twenty seven percent

73%
(27%) answered no.
Figure 17

Figure 18 shows the sum of students’

Effects of Social Media
responses regarding what do social

media affects them most. Three Financial

3%
Physical
percent(3%) answered it affects them 21%
Academic
financially, thirty six percent(36%) 36%

answered academically, twenty one

Mental
20%
Emotional
percent(21%) answered emotionally, 21%

twenty percent(20%) answered

Figure 18
mentally, twenty percent (20%)

answered physically, and none

answered others.

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Unfavorable Relationship Between Social Media and Students’ Academic Performance

Respondents who spend Less than an Hour

up to Two Hours in utilizing Social Media

Above average (1.00-

1.50) Failed (2.51-5.00)
12% 5%

Average (1.51- Below average

2.00) (2.01-2.50)
37% 47%

Figure 19

Respondents who spend more than Three

hours in utilizing Social Media

Failed (2.51-5.00)
5%

Average (1.51-
2.00)
40% Below average
(2.01-2.50)
54%

Figure 20

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