ABSTRACT

Advancement in technology and the increased availability of internet enabled handheld devices have significantly increased students’ access and use of the internet. The use of social media is enhanced by the availability and access to internet. In Nigeria and the world today, social media has gained acceptability and has become a tool for communication and social cohesion amongst students. The use of this assortment of social media has diverse effects on the user’s life, some of which are negative and others, positive. This study is aimed at investigating the impact of Social Network Usage on University Students Academic Performance using Benue State University Makurdi, Nigeria as a case study. The study sampled 1596 students. The study focused on three key impact areas: the time spent on social media, the frequency of visiting social media and the relationship between the volume of social friends and a student’s academic performance. Correlation and regression analyses were used to determine and measure the extent to which the three variables were related to students’ CGPA. The study adopted a paper-based close-ended questionnaire and was restricted to undergraduate students in three majors. The study found that the time spent on social media, the frequency of visit and the total number of online friends has a statistically significant relationship with a student’s academic performance. It is therefore recommended that access to social media should be restricted and controlled, and the idle time should rather be channelled into studying. This, it is believed, will improve students’ performance.