UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS' UTILIZATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine undergraduate students utilization of social media for academic activities. In a bid to achieve the purpose intended, three (3) research questions were raised to enable the researcher achieve the objectives of the study. The study adopted Description Survey Research Design and the population of this study consists of all full time students (100-400 level) in the Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education, University of Benin while a total sample size of 150 students was used (75 students from the upper and lower levels ).The instrument used for data collection was the structured questionnaire. The face and content approach was used to determine the validity of the instrument, while the Cronbach Alpha reliability method was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument. The data collected were analyzed using mean. The analysis revealed that the benefit of social media to on-line learning is enormous if properly used. This can influence the standard of education in the society. It should also the noted that as much as social media platform can be used for good it can also have detrimental effect on the educational health of student. Student should be cautioned on the use of social media platform so it doesn’t affect the academic performance. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that the students should be enlightened on how to effectively maximize social media without being distracted by it. This can be done by organizing a seminar talk on effective social media usage. Students should try as much as possible to streamline their activities on social media as most of them use it for so many irrelevant and time wasting activities. Proper orientation on the effect of social media should be given to junior students to enable them efficiently utilize social media for academic activities. Parents should also endeavour to provide cell phones for their wards to enable them become up-to-date with the technological changes and the opportunity to develop 21st century.