THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON OOU STUDENT’S ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

ABSTRACT This research examines the effect of social media on the performance of undergraduate students at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU). As Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp become more popular, social media has also invaded the life of the students, with collaborative learning opportunities and distractions. The study sought to establish how widely students of OOU use social media, assess whether the use of social media affects performance, determine primary platforms, and recommend ways of maximizing the use of social media for academic success. Data collection employed a mixed-methodology where 100 undergraduate students from selected Faculties in OOU like Arts, Law, Education, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Sciences were surveyed using questionnaires and qualitative interviews. Results show that social media may enable co-operation in study and sharing of resources, while excessive use for the sake of entertainment negatively impacts the concentration and performance of students. Results show there exists a high correlation between social media use for one objective and academic success, and students who employ social media use for study purposes have a better GPA than those who employ it for entertainment. The research focuses on the dual role of social media as a study aid and source of distraction, the significance of appropriate student self-regulation. For students, the recommendation is prudent use of social media and digital self-regulation practice, and for educators and institutions, the integration of social media into pedagogy and policy promoting healthy online habits. This research contributes to the existing knowledge of the multifaceted implications of social media on learning achievement, proposing the introduction of conscious use in enhancing academic performance.