Rara

Ikezam & Eremie….. Int. J.
Innovative In -61, 2021
International Journal of Innovative Information Systems

& Technology Research 9(2):48-61, April-June, 2021
© SEAHI PUBLICATIONS, 2021 www.seahipaj.org ISSN: 2467-8562
Influence Of Social Media On Academic Performance Of

Senior Secondary School Students In Rivers State:
Implications For Counseling
Ikezam Florence Nwoburuoke & Dr. Maxwell Eremie
Department of Educational Foundation,

Faculty of Education Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The study examined influence of social media on academic performance of students and its implication
for counseling in Rivers State. To achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher developed three (3)
research questions and three hypotheses to guide the conduct of the study. The study adopted the
descriptive survey design. The population of this study was 4500 students from 8 public senior secondary
schools out of the 14 in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State. The sample size of this
study was 357 students from the population using Taro Yamene formula. After determining the sample
size of this study, simple random sampling technique was adopted for the study to select 170 males and
187 female students. The instrument used for the study was questionnaire titled “Influence of Social
Media on Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Rivers State (ISMAPSSSSR)”.
The instrument was designed using structured items that were based on a four point likert scale of Very
High Extent (VHE), High Extent (HE), Low Extent (LE) and Very Low Extent (VLE) rated 4-1 points.
The instrument was validated by the researcher's supervisor and two other experts in Educational
foundation and Measurement and Evaluation departments from Rivers State University. The reliability of
an instrument was determined using test-retest method to ensure that the instrument was reliable. The two
results were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to ascertain the co-efficient at 0.80.
Out of 357 questionnaires administered, only 350 were returned and used for the study, which represent
93% of the questionnaire. The data collected were analyzed using mean (X̅ ) and standard deviation (SD)
to answer the research questions. The null hypotheses formulated were tested using z-test statistics at 0.05
level of significance, which is a test of difference of mean. The findings revealed that, the use of
Facebook, Whatsapp and Youtube can influence academic performance of students in Rivers State. It is
on this backdrop that the researcher recommended that; social media should be used for promoting
educational purposes or goals, social networking sites should be broadened and new pages created to
enhance academic activities and avoid poor performance in students‟ academics. This would help to
create a balance between social media and academic activities of students.
Keywords: Social, Media, Academic, Performance, Facebook, Whatsapp, Youtube, Students, Counseling
INTRODUCTION
Social media according to Andreas Kaplan refers to the means of interactions among people in which they
create, share and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and network. It creates the
opportunity to network with other members who share similar or common interest, dreams and goals.
48
With WhatsApp messenger, communication through mobile phones has become easier, faster and fo.
Systems & Tech. Res. 9 (2): 48
cheaper. It is less expensive as compared to the normal phone messaging. An individual can chat with
friends and family overseas through WhatsApp without having to incur global SMS charges.
According to Asemah & Edegoh (2012), these sites are used by most people to interact with old and new
friends, physical or internet friends. The world has been changed rapidly by the evolution of internet
technology; this has resulted into the use of technology as the best medium to explore the wide area of
knowledge. The evolution of internet technology has led to its use as the best medium for communication.
Whereby, two-third of the world’s internet population visits social networking or blogging sites, thus
serving as a communication and connection tool. The advancement in technology and communication
leads to a considerable improvement in social networking such as Facebook used to keep in touch or
share information with other individuals. According to Zuckerberg, by giving people the control over
whole site, we're making the world more transparent. Making the world get connected is the ultimate goal
behind Facebook. Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks in
secondary schools and universities.
Academic performance plays an important role in the life of a student as it determines his or her
placement in the academic institutions or job. Due to this, many parents, teachers, guardians, students and
well wishers are concerned with the ways their students can enhance their academic performance. The
emphasis on academic performance which is also prevalent worldwide has encouraged many studies
about the conditions promoting it. The role of academic performance as one of the predictors of students’
success and also in the aspect of academic placement in schools to higher institutions as well as the level
of employability in individual’s career is inevitable (Osharive, 2015). Academic performance, which is
measured by the examination results, is one of the major goals of a school. Schools are established with
the aim of imparting knowledge and skills to those who go through them and behind all this is the idea of
enhancing good academic performance. Academic performance or achievement is the outcome of
education, the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals.
Academic performance is commonly measured by examinations or continuous assessment but there is no
general agreement on how it is best tested or which aspects are most important, procedural knowledge
such as skills or declarative knowledge such as facts (Raymond & Afua, 2016; Santoveña-Casal, 2019;
Stacy, 2018; Tarek & Yasmin, 2015). In today’s world where technology is increasingly invading all
economic sectors inclusive of education, students are seen exposed to smart phones and computers. They
spend time on the internet making use of social media applications accompanying these smart phones and
computers. Thus, there might be an influence between the use of social media and academic performance,
bearing in mind that social media bridges the wall of distance between two or more persons. Online social
networking sites focus on building and reflecting social associations among people who share interests
and or activities. With so many social networking sites displayed on the internet, students do chat online
with friends, families, teachers, etc to keep social interaction going.
Mayfield in Joseph (2017) pointed out that one can best understand social media as a group of new online
media which enables wider participation (contributing information or content and giving feedback),
openness (almost no barrier accessing and making use of information), conversational (two-way
communication), community (bonding and sharing of common interests), and connectedness (linking
other online tools or services/resources). In Publication No. 2010-03- E of the Library of Parliament,
Canada, social media as a term was referred to as the wide-range of online and mobile services that
allows users to be involved in online information exchanges and contributions of user-generated content
within the scope of community-based interests. The above source asserted that social media include
blogs, wikis, social bookmarking websites, media sharing websites and, particularly, social networking
websites. Interaction and sharing of contents using a social media is been facilitated by the internet.
Social media are usually on a large scale membership and comprise of the social interactions (students’
49
Ikezam & Eremie….. Int. J. Innovative In -61, 2021
social pages) taking place using website services, online tools and the content (media) that are created and
shared (Naheed & Tasawar, 2014; Abbate, 2017).
In the 21st century, the use of the Internet (including the use of social media) has globally become an
integral part of students’ daily lives (Sorensen, Ponas, Hayikhani & Hayar, 2014). Beyond the common
Ikezam & Eremie….. Int. J. Innovative Info. Systems & Tech. Res. 9 (2): 48-61, 2021
sense awareness of this global situation, different research findings which support the statement have been
found available. For instance, it was reported that Internet users across the United States of America
continue to spend more time on social media than on any other category of websites to the extent that the
total time used on social media reached 121 billion minutes in July, 2012 from 88 billion minutes in July
2011 (The Nielsen Company, 2012). Increased usage of social media is a global phenomenon. With the
continuous improvements in information and communication technologies and increasing possibilities for
ubiquitous internet connectivity, more freedom is anticipated for using social media whenever and
wherever one wants.
Educationally, relating to freedom, and as indicated by The Nielsen Company (2012), social media
platforms such as Whatsapp, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Mebo, Email, Youtube, Instagram,
Tiktok, Blogs, Email, and others continue to alter the way in which students access, generate, share and
use information. With the possibility for more freedom (i.e. of connectivity and access) regarding
networking online anywhere and at any time, it is not difficult to note that social media use will remain a
regular aspect of students’ everyday life. Social media use is already pervasive in all contexts, but many
implications of the specific use of social media in the lives of specific sets of users such as students are
not adequately conspicuous and they may not be until focused research efforts (such as this) are made to
expose them.
Statement of the Problem
Students' academic performance has experience some drastic shrinkage, as a result of poor classroom
participation, low grades in internal and external examinations. It appears students are addicted to social
media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram, Tiktok, MySpace, LinkedIn, Mebo,
Email, Youtube, Zoom, Blogs, etc and this becomes a problem that has resulted to their poor performance.
Students use most of their time in chatting on issues unrelated to their studies. Students seemingly don't
pay attention to the lecturers during lecturing hours, as they chat and observe other social media activities.
Students don't concentrate to their lectures during teaching-learning hours. Some phones of students who
are caught chatting or using social media during lecturing are being fined or ceased temporary or
permanently by their lecturer. Students spend more time chatting online at the expense of their classes and
academic assignments. Students are being less interested in their academic obligations. There appears to
be a dearth of empirical studies on how social media usage influence academic performance of senior
secondary school students in Rivers State. Thus, there is need to empirically close the gap by examining if
the influence of social media on academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers
State.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the Influence of Social Media on Academic Performance of
Senior Secondary School Students in Rivers State: Implementations for counselling. The specific
objectives of the study are to:
1. Determine the influence of Facebook on academic performance of senior secondary school
students in Rivers State.
2. Determine the influence of Whatsapp on academic performance of senior secondary school
students in Rivers State.
3. Ascertain the influence of Youtube on academic performance of senior secondary school students
in Rivers State. Research Questions
50
1. To what extent does Facebook influence academic performance of senior secondary school
students in Rivers State?
2. To what extent does Whatsapp influence academic performance of senior secondary school
3. To what extent does Youtube influence academic performance of senior secondary school
fo. Systems & Tech. Res. 9 (2): 48
Null Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were used for the study and tested at 0.05 significant level.
H01: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female students on the extent
Facebook influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
Whatsapp influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
Whatsapp influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Concept of Social Media

The term Social media is defined as the application that allows users to converse and interact with each
other; to create, edit and share new forms of textual, visual and audio content, and to categorize, label and
recommend existing forms of content (Selwyn 2012). As regards the intentions of social media usage,
Oye, Adam, and Zairah, (2012) in their study with Malaysian students using social networking site and its
influence on their academic performance showed that social networking sites usage for only social and
non-academic needs have an adverse effect on academic performance. Social media can also be defined
as forms of electronic communication through which users interact among people in which they create,
freely share, exchange and discuss information, ideas, personal messages, and other content about each
other and their lives using a multimedia mix of personal words, pictures, videos and audio, utilizing
online platforms while they are connected to the internet (Mingle & Adams, 2015). A research by Lau
(2017) using students in Hong Kong examined the use of social media and social multitasking and their
effects on academic performance. He asserted that the use of social media for academic purposes was not
a significant predictor of academic performance. Whereas the use of social media for nonacademic
purposes adversely predicts academic performance. Ravizza, Hambrick, and Fenn (2014) reported that the
use of the internet including social media for non-academic purposes by university students in the
classroom was adversely associated with classroom learning and performance.
Student Academic Performance
Academic performance is the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects.
Teachers and education officials typically measure achievement using classroom performance, graduation
rates and results from standardized tests (Ballotpedia, 2020). According to Wikipedia (2013), academic
performance is the outcome of education; it is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has
achieved their educational goals.
Academic performance also means the knowledge and skills that students have mastered in a subject or a
course. It’s basically a measure of how well students have performed in the various assessment items set
for them based on some educational criteria determined by professional educators (Yunlok, 2014). Thus
performance is characterized by performance on tests associated with coursework and the performance of
students on other types of examinations (Amasuomo, 2014). Various studies have been carried out on the
factors that affect students’ academic performance or achievement in schools, colleges and universities.
Some of the factors identified and reported to have affected the academic performance of students in these
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different settings are: student effort, previous or prior educational performance, self-motivation, the
social-economic status of the students’ parents, the students’ age, number of hours of study per day,
admission points, different entry qualifications, tuition trends and the students’ area of residence (rural or
urban) (Farooq, Chaudry, Shafiq & Berhanu, 2011; Ali, Haider, Munir, Khan & Ahmed, 2013).
Student performance is measured using grade point average (GPA), high school graduation rate, annual
standardized tests and college entrance exams. A student's GPA is typically measured on a scale of zero to
four with higher GPAs representing higher grades in the classroom. Graduation rates are collected by state
and federal education officials as a baseline measurement of secondary education performance.
Social Media and Academic Performance

The social media engages students and have to be examined as entrepreneurs of understanding. The
medium of internet is marketing with increase in its programs. The interactive character of online
conditions has extended with social networking. Hooking up through social networking began as being a
niche activity, though time it's a phenomenon. The web sites are employed in many ways like developing
metropolitan areas, speaking, blogging etc. Additionally different institutions even nowadays are
developing groups on several Websites (Saba in Osharive 2015). Social media has a positive influence on
education, helping students improve their academic performance. From helping students complete their
assignments, get to grips with intricate educational concepts, prepare for quizzes and exams, to improving
their practical skills and finding the right career opportunities, social media is playing a vital role in
helping students stay on top of their studies. The use of social media channels like Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, YouTube is highly beneficial for students as these channels allow them to stay up-to-date with
the latest happening in their fields and, unearth cutting-edge researches (www.windsor.edu; Yunlok, 2014)
Mixed results have been found in regard to social networking site use in educational settings. Some
studies have reported significant evidence concerning the negative relationship between social media and
academic performance (Karpinski, Kirschner, Ozer, Mellott, & Ochwo, 2013). Paul, Baker, and Cochran
(2012) found that devoting time to social networking sites has a negative impact on academic
performance. According to other studies, this negative impact mainly occurs when social networking sites
are used in the classroom because multitasking diminishes performance and when the students involved
are in their first year of university (Krasilnikov & Smirnova, 2017). It seems that students who use social
media spend less time studying, with an adverse effect on outcomes. Furthermore, some have suggested
that social networking sites offer added value in educational settings, facilitating assimilation of this new
knowledge on teaching practice and new educational methodologies and theories, and thus creating the
conditions necessary for developing new methodologies. The main benefits that social media offer in
educational settings stem from their value as a tool for information exchange and as a means of
socialization and communication (Santoveña-Casal, 2019).
Facebook on Academic Performance of Students
Facebook is one of most popularly used social networking software among students today and there are
vast opportunities for teachers and students in using social software for teaching and learning. Created in
February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes as a site for Harvard students
only, Facebook has expanded and today a lot of people especially students are on facebook (Kietzmannn,
2012). Today, facebook has extended to high school networks, work networks, later, and, eventually, to
Internet users in general. Like most social network sites, facebook provides a formatted web page into
which each user can enter personal information, including gender, birthday, hometown, political and
religious views, e-mail and physical addresses, relationship status, activities, interests, favorite music and
movies, educational background and a main personal picture. After completing their profile, users are
52
prompted to identify others with whom they have a relationship, either by searching for registered users
of facebook or by requesting their contacts to join facebook (usually by e-mail). “Once someone is
accepted as a “friend,” not only the two users’ personal profile but also their entire social networks are
disclosed to each other” (Naheed & Tasawar, 2014; Hardi, et al 2017; Hamdi, 2010). This allows each
user to navigate networks by clicking on “friends profiles, so that one’s social network soars speedily
through persons and establishments This feature is the backbone of facebook which attracts millions of
users around the world.
Whatsapp on Academic Performance of Students
The Whatsapp is a social media application where audio and audio-visual messages are conveyed
between communicants. It is an instantaneous messaging application for smartphones and computers.
Whatsapp as a social networking enables users to share text messages, videos, images, and audio
messages via Internet connection. It is superior to SMS messaging, which can be very costly when used in
fo. Systems & Tech. Res. 9 (2): 48
foreign countries due to roaming charges; WhatsApp, in contrast, relies on the active Wi-Fi network
(Ravizza, Hambrick & Fenn, 2014; Flynn, 2011). WhatsApp is a social network that allows people to
access a great deal of information rapidly. The simple operation scheme makes the program accessible to
a variety of people of different ages and back-grounds. WhatsApp facilitates interaction with anyone who
has a Smartphone, with active internet connection, and has this application installed in the device. A
special feature of Whatsapp as a social networking platform is the option to create group and to
communicate within its boundaries. The person who created the group becomes the group administrator
which enable him to add, erase and control membership. In the case of group chat, Aside from this, all of
the participants in the group enjoy equal rights. The software makes it possible for members to receive a
notification for each message sent or, alternatively, to mute the in-coming alerts for the duration of 8
hours, a day, or a whole week. The use of WhatsApp as a social networking application enhances online
collaboration and cooperation between online students connected from school or home in a blended
mobile lecture and has the following educational value (Chenail, 2014).
YouTube on Academic Performance of Students
The YouTube is an American online video-sharing platform. YouTube allows users to upload, view, rate,
share, add to playlists, report, comment on videos, and subscribe to other users. It offers a wide variety of
user-generated and corporate media videos. Available content includes video clips, TV show clips, music
videos, short and documentary films, audio recordings, movie trailers, live streams, and other content
such as video blogging, short original videos, and educational videos. Most content on YouTube is
uploaded by individuals, but media corporations including CBS, the BBC, Vevo, and Hulu offer some of
their material via YouTube as part of the YouTube partnership program. Unregistered users can only
watch (but not upload) videos on the site, while registered users are also permitted to upload an unlimited
number of videos and add comments to videos (Fisher &Taub, 2019; Jidenma, 2011; Haselton & Salinas,
2019).
Problems Associated With the Use of Social Media on Academic Performance

Recently, there has arisen a debate on the adverse impact of social media usage on people, particularly
adolescents and student communities across the world. In this respect, digital media and social media
networking sites have received criticism, and there are many perspectives regarding the effect of social
media in the context of Pakistani students. The popularity of social media applications and social
networking sites has increased precipitously during the last decade (Malita, 2011). Typically, the reason
for this rapid increase is that teenagers and college and university students are using social media
applications to gain global access. These social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are becoming
the craze in our society for everyone these days (Stathopoulou Siamagka & Christodoulides, 2010).
Today, students are relying increasingly on information and data that is easily accessible on social
53
networking sites and the internet. This is the reason why students’ learning skills and research capabilities
are decreasing in certain situations, as their engagement with these sites reduces their focus, which causes
them to dedicate less time to their studies and results in a decline in their poor academic performance
manifesting in the form of low grades, failure in assignment and class test, etc. (Hoffmann & Bublitz,
2017). Typically, as students spend more time on social media, they spend less time socializing face to
face or in person with other people, and these habits reduce their communication skills. The wasting of
students’ time on social media may also cause them to miss deadlines on occasion. As a result, students
might not be able to communicate and socialize effectively in person, and it is well known that strong
communication skills are a key to success. Moreover, excessive social media use affects students’ mental
and physical health.
The adverse effects of these social media networking sites outweigh the positive ones. Thus, these sites
have caused potential harm to society. Students become victims of social networks more often than
anyone else. This may be because social media is an attractive way for students to avoid boredom while
they are studying or searching their course material online, diverting their attention from their work
(Bozoglan, 2017). Social media platforms have also been criticized for revealing and fueling negativity,
which has a net-negative effect on students. For instance, the following social media platforms have been
ranked from the most to the least negative based on user evaluations: Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and
Instagram. Users have described Instagram, in particular, as having a negative effect on people by causing
stress and tension on individuals’ bodies. According to Steven Strogatz of Cornell University, online
networking can make it more difficult for people to identify meaningful communication from other
diverse interactions or connections created via web-based social networks (Bozoglan, 2017). Such a
reduction in the number of significant connections may intimidate individuals, making them fear the
development of important interactions and communication.
Implications for Counseling

Counseling can play a major role in curtailing the negative influence of social media networks on
Students’ academic performance. Makinde (2007) (as cited in Shaterloo & Ghasem, 2011) defined
guidance and counseling as an interaction process co- joining the counselee, who is vulnerable and who
needs assistance and the counselor who is trained and educated to give this assistance, the goal is to help
the counselee learn to deal more effectively with himself and the reality of his environment. The reality of
every University students‟ environment is to study hard to achieve good grades but when social media
networks begin to pose distractions for them they tend to live in a lie instead of their reality. School
counselors provide counseling programs in three domains: academic, career and personal/social. Their
services and programs helps students‟ resolve emotional, social or behavioral problems and help them
develop a clearer focus or sense of direction (Shaterloo & Ghasem, 2011). A students‟ addiction to social
media can be termed a behavioral problem which falls under the personal/social counseling intervention
programs organized by the school counselor. Counselors can assist students facing social media addiction
problem by organizing individual counseling program as he/she meets face to face with these students to
assist them in their personal difficulty. The group counseling programs can also take place whereby all
students facing a common challenge meet with the counselor to interact and be assisted. Group
counseling enables a student discover that his/her problem is not peculiar to him/her alone; it also helps to
build their self-confidence. When a student successfully go through these counseling intervention
programs there tend to be a change in behavioral patterns which would be of great benefit to the student
in his/her academic performance.
54
METHODOLOGY
Design of the Study: The study adopted the descriptive survey design which is suitable in collecting data
from a large sample drawn from a large population. The design was adopted because it requires the
researcher to establish the difference between Influence of Social Media (independent variable) on
Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students (dependent variable).
Area of the Study: The study was carried out in public senior secondary schools in Port Harcourt Local
Government Area of Rivers State.
Population of the Study: The population of this study was 4500 students from 8 public senior secondary
schools out of the 14 in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Sample and Sampling Techniques: The sample size of this study was 357 students from the population
using Taro Yamene formula. After determining the sample size of this study, simple random sampling
technique was adopted for the study to select 170 males and 187 female students. The researcher used this
technique to ensure that each member of the target population has equal and independent chance of being
chosen as respondent for the study.
Research Instrument: The major research instrument used for the study was questionnaire titled
“Influence of Social Media on Academic Performance of Senior Secondary School Students in Rivers
State (ISMAPSSSSR)”. The instrument was designed using structured items that were based on a four
point likert scale of Very High Extent (VHE), High Extent (HE), Low Extent (LE) and VERY Low Extent
(VLE) rated 4-1 points.
55
Validity of the Instrument: The instrument was validated by the researcher's supervisor and two other
experts in Educational foundation and Measurement and Evaluation departments from Rivers State
University. Their comments and suggestions were incorporated in the final draft of the questionnaire. This
was done to ensure that the instrument was in line with the purpose of the study.
Reliability of Instrument: The reliability of an instrument was determined using test-retest method to
ensure that the instrument was reliable. The instrument was administered to respondents in secondary
schools outside Rivers State, who will not be part of the study. After two weeks of administering the first
test, the same copies of questionnaire were re-administered to the same set of respondents.The two results
were correlated using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to ascertain the co-efficient at 0.80.
Administration of Instrument: The researcher alongside two research assistants administered 357
questionnaires across the selected senior secondary schools under study within a time interval of two
weeks. Out of 357 questionnaires administered, only 350 were returned and used for the study, which
represent 93% of the questionnaire.
Method of Data Analysis: The data collected were analyzed using mean (X̅ ) and standard deviation
(SD) to answer the research questions. The criterion mean used in scoring the instrument was 2.50 which
signify ‘High Extent’ to the item, as items below 2.50 will denote ‘Low Extent’. The null hypotheses
formulated were tested using z-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance, which is a test of difference of
mean.
RESULTS
Research Question 1: To what extent does Facebook influence academic performance of senior
secondary school students in Rivers State?
1. Chatting with other students through the 2.65 0.02 2.88 0.03 High extent
use of Facebook has helped to
improve the Students‟ academic
ability.
2.63 0.02 2.67 0.02 High extent
2. Use of Facebook has helped me in
sharing information, ideas and
opinion with my friends.
2.81 0.01 2.75 0.01 High extent

3. People, friends and students are involved
now in social interaction as a result of
use of Facebook application.
2.79 0.02 2.68 0.01 High extent
4. It distracts my studies.
Grand mean X̅ High extent

2.72 0.02 2.75 0.02
Table 1: Summary of mean and standard deviation on the extent Facebook influence academic
performance of senior secondary school students (N= 170 and 180).
SN ITEMS Male SD Female SD Decision
X̅ X̅
56
Table 1 indicated that items 1, 2, 3 and 4 with varying mean and standard deviation scores above 2.50.
The grand means of 2.72 and 2.75 with SD of 0.02 and 0.02 is an indication that Facebook influence
academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
Research Question 2: To what extent does whatsApp influence academic performance of senior
secondary school students in Rivers State?
5. Chatting with friends to share ideas, 2.69 0.01 2.96 0.01 High extent
information and opinions have
improved the students‟ ability in the
class.
2.67 0.02 2.85 0.02 High extent
6. WhatsApp helps me in my studies as
knowledge is being
disseminated between me and my course
mates.
2.78 0.02 2.88 0.03 High extent

7. I acquire lots of information on
WhatsApp pertaining my academics.
2.71 0.02 2.80 0.01 High extent

2.71 0.02 2.87 0.02
9. Learning with other students through the 2.74 0.01 2.90 0.01 High extent
use of Youtube has helped to improve
the Students‟ academic ability.
10. I acquire lots of information on Youtube 2.68 0.02 2.65 0.02 High extent
pertaining my academics.
11. Use of Facebook has helped me in 2.93 0.02 2.77 0.01 High extent
sharing information, ideas and opinion
with my friends.
2.87 0.02 2.87 0.03 High extent
2.81 0.02 2.80 0.02
Table 2: Summary of mean and standard deviation on the extent whatsApp influence academic
X̅ X̅
57
Table 2 indicated that items 5, 6, 7 and 8 with varying mean and standard deviation scores above 2.50 as
accepted. The grand means of 2.71 and 2.87 with SD of 0.02 and 0.02 is an indication that whatsApp
influence academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
Research Question 3: To what extent does Youtube influence academic performance of senior secondary
school students in Rivers State?
Table 3: Summary of mean and standard deviation on the extent Youtube influence academic
X̅ X̅
Table 3 indicated that items 9, 10, 11 and 12 with varying mean and standard deviation scores above 2.50
as accepted. The grand means of 2.81 and 2.80 with SD of 0.02 and 0.02 is an indication that Youtube
influence academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female students on the
extent facebook influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
Table 4: Test Analysis of Significant Difference between the Mean Responses of Male and Female
students on the extent facebook influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in
Rivers State.
Gender No of
Teachers x̅ Sd Df Z-cal Z-crit Decision
Male 170 2.72 0.02 Not

350 0.031 ±1.96
rejected
Female 180 2.75 0.02
Data in table 4 indicated the mean scores for both male and female students as 2.72 and 2.75. The table
further revealed that the z-cal (0.031) is less than the z-crit (±1.96) at 0.05 level of significance and degree
of freedom (350), hence the acceptance of the null hypothesis, indicating that there was no significant
difference on the extent facebook influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in
Rivers State.
extent WhatsApp influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
students on the extent WhatsApp influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in
Rivers State.
Gender No of
Male 170 2.71 0.02 Not

350 0.029 ±1.96
rejected
58
Female 180 2.87 0.02
difference on the extent WhatsApp influences academic performance of senior secondary school students
in Rivers State.
extent Youtube influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in Rivers State.
students on the extent Youtube influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in
Rivers State.
Gender No of
Male 170 2.81 0.02 Not

350 0.033 ±1.96
rejected
Female 180 2.80 0.02
difference on the extent Youtube influences academic performance of senior secondary school students in
Rivers State.
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
The finding of study indicates that a difference exists between male and female students‟ usage of
Facebook, WhatsApp and Youtube. Female students tend to use these social networks to foster social
connections more while the males would likely use social networks for non-academic purposes,
counseling also enables students to use these sites beneficially as it unveils their reality to them. This is in
line with the findings of (Lin & Subrahmanyam, 2007) which noted Studies have shown that boys have
been online more than girls in previous decades because of earlier forms of technology such as video or
computer games. The study also reveals the extent to which Facebook influence academic performance of
students in Rivers State. The result shows that it enables students to participate in academic forums
disseminate and acquire knowledge pertaining their studies while it could also be distracting to some
students. Students use Facebook in various ways to accomplish a wide range of social responsibilities and
59
just for fun too. The study also reveals the extent to which WhatsApp influence academic performance of
students in Rivers State. It enables their effective participation in academic forums, students also acquire
knowledge which helps to boost their grades some other students see it as a distraction. Youtube influence
academic performance of students in Rivers State. The result shows that it enables students to participate
in academic forums disseminate and acquire knowledge pertaining their studies while it could also be
distracting to some students. Students use Youtube in various ways to accomplish a wide range of social
responsibilities. Yebaoh & Ewur (2014) also posits that the use of Facebook, WhatsApp and Youtube
increases the provisions and access to learning materials, anywhere, anytime and in various formats, and
also has the potential to enhance students‟ cap abilities.
Further analysis on the testing of the hypotheses showed that the use of Facebook can influence academic
performance of students in Rivers State, the use of WhatsApp can influence students‟ academic
performance and Youtube can influence students‟ academic performance also that there is a significant
difference between male and female students‟ usage of Facebook, WhatsApp and Youtube.
CONCLUSION
The result from the findings of this study showed that, though Social media have negative effects on
student such as; distracting them from their academic work, they also have benefits and can be used
appropriately. For instance, students can form online communities in order to plan for a project, have
group discussions about class material, or use the Social networking sites(SNS) as a way to keep in
contact when a student who has been absent needs to be updated on current academic information.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In the light of the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made:
1. School counselors should be able to educate students on the negative and positive influence of
Social media on their academic performance.
2. Through counseling intervention programs Students should be able to understand themselves
better and how to manage their study time and prevent distractions from social media.
3. Social Networking Sites should be expanded and new pages created to enhance academic
activities and avoid setbacks in the students ‘academic performance.
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Ikezam & Eremie….. Int. J.

Innovative In -61, 2021

International Journal of Innovative Information Systems

© SEAHI PUBLICATIONS, 2021 www.seahipaj.org ISSN: 2467-8562

Influence Of Social Media On Academic Performance Of

Ikezam Florence Nwoburuoke & Dr. Maxwell Eremie

Department of Educational Foundation,

fo. Systems & Tech. Res. 9 (2): 48

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Concept of Social Media

Social Media and Academic Performance

Problems Associated With the Use of Social Media on Academic Performance

Implications for Counseling

2.81 0.01 2.75 0.01 High extent

Grand mean X̅ High extent

2.78 0.02 2.88 0.03 High extent

2.71 0.02 2.80 0.01 High extent

Male 170 2.72 0.02 Not

Male 170 2.71 0.02 Not

Male 170 2.81 0.02 Not

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