The Influence of Social Media on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students of Taraba State University, Jalingo, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examines the influence of social media on academic performance of undergraduate students of Taraba state University, Jalingo, Nigeria . Quantitative survey method was adopted for the study. The population consists of 5000 undergraduate students. The study made use of Taro Yame’s formula to sample 100 students. Questionnaires were employed as the instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was administered to 100 randomly selected students. The entire questionnaires administered were duly filled and retrieved given a high response rate of 100%. The gamut of this study is on the uses and gratification theory. Data collected were coded and analysed on SPSS version 22 and presented in tables. Findings revealed that students of Taraba State University have access to the internet and that they do so through different mediums such as smart phones, tablets and computers. The study also postulate that students who spend more time on social media are likely to perform poorly in their academic activities than those who do not. The study recommends that students should decrease their introduction to social media and give careful consideration to their studies. Students, particularly those ready to record gigantic scholarly achievement should guard themselves against the successive utilization of social media.

Keywords: Social media, Academic performance, Students, Taraba State University, Jalingo.