SOCIAL MEDIA AND SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A STUDY OF UNICROSS HIGH SCHOOL, CALABAR

ABSTRACT The primary objectives of this study was to determine social media among students of UNICROSS high school. The uses and gratifications theory was adopted for the study. The study adopted the explanatory mixed method in which descriptive survey was used for quantitative and in-depth interview was use for the qualitative aspect of the survey with sample size of 120 respondents. The questionnaire was adopted as the major instrument for data collection, the questionnaire was computed, distributed one on one to the respondents. The data collated were analyzed and the major findings were discussed; majority of the respondents agreed that excessive social media usage negatively impact the academic performance of UNICROSS high school students, it also revealed that social media affects the mental well-being of students. The study concludes that students who spent more time on social media were more likely to experience decreased academic performance, as measured by lower grades and test scores. Students who spent more time on social media were more likely to experience increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, social media usage was associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety among adolescents. Based on the findings the researcher recommends integrated social media literacy into the academic curriculum to educate students on responsible social media use as well as organize workshops and seminars on the impact of social media on mental health, relationships, and academic performance amongst the students.