THE INFLUENCE

OF SOCIAL
MEDIA ON STUDENTS
Fuentes, Kent Edward
Pacis, Patrick
University of the Visayas
AB S T R AC T
This study seeks answers for what are its effects especially on students when they are too
much exposed to social networking sites or commonly called as social media. According to
our study, some of students chose to do socializing rather than studying. And we all know that
too much use of students on social media can lead to laziness especially in doing their
assignments, projects, outputs, etc. but some also says that social networking sites has helped
them a lot especially in their studies and research purposes.

Keywords: social media, student, influence

I.

INTRODUCTION
Social media are computer mediated tools that allow people or companies to create,
share or exchange information, career interests, ideas and pictures/videos in virtual communities
and networks. The new world of social networking allows free sharing of thoughts. Online social
networks are created by websites such as Facebook, which has emerged as a giant in this social
world. And now, social media are affecting the lives of a student.

One of the most interesting things to look at is the increasing number of student users
on such social networking sites. As per the survey conducted by Pew Research centre, 72% of
high school and 78% of college students spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. These
numbers indicate how much the student community is involved in this virtual world of social
networking. Social media is said to be important in individuals since humans are social animals
but the only question is how does the social media affects human especially the lives of the
students?
This study analyses the effects of social media on students. Specifically, the study
seeks to answer to the following questions: 1. How does the social networking sites affects our
education? 2. Why students love to spend time socializing? and 3. How the social media does
affects the self esteem of a student?
Tarawneh (March 3, 2014).Social networks are becoming an integral part of our lives.
Students are spending much time on social media and are considered the largest category that uses
such application. This study tries to explore the influence of social media use, and especially
Facebook, on high school students performance. A proposed framework that guides research in
this area and reflects on the issues related to such phenomenon. A proposed survey is also
depicted to be used in future research. Conclusions and future work are stated at the end. Adam
Mahamat Helou and Zairah Ab. Rahim (2014).Social networking sites have created a new social
dimension where individuals can increase their social awareness by keeping in touch with old
friends, making new friends, dispensing new data or products and gathering information in other
aspects of everyday life. This helps individuals become more knowledgeable, which is very
beneficial for students. This research attempts to obtain students perceptions on how their use of
social networking sites influences their academic performance. This study found that the majority
of respondents agreed that social networking sites have a positive impact on their academic
performance. Capag Henry (October 2011). Within the past 10 years, social media such as
Facebook, Twitter, My Space, YouTube, Flick and others have grown at a tremendous rate, cu
listing an astronomical number of users. Social media have inevitably become an integral part or

the contemporary classroom of advertising and public relations industries, of political

campaigning, and of numerous others aspects of our daily existence. Cuisa, Jomari and Yacap,
Edward (March 2013).The researchers had decided to study this because SNS is getting more
popular among teenagers and students and curios of the effects of SNS to them. Since the students
are still high school students, teachers, Parents knowledge.

II.

THEORETICAL BACKGOUND
This study is anchored on the theory of Sigala, Christou M. about the effects of social
networking sites in which he addresses the enormously popular of social media such as Facebook,
Twitter, Google, and etc. Facebook was created because a Harvard under graduate student wanted to
connect with his fellow students, Twitter came from brainstorming session of Twitter founder Evan
Williams (Johnson 2009) neither was created due to a deep understanding of social network
theories. The core technology of Google was invented by adopting the quality web pages online.
Social media represents two way communication between consumers and the materialization of
the communication content, solidification, storage, and retrieval of the word of mouth content
online. However, the large scale, anonymous, ephemeral nature of the Internet induces new ways
of capturing analysing, interpreting, and managing social media content.
More importantly, in todays online world, the large amount of behavioural data can be
captured and analysed instantaneously, and new ideas will fly and become popular; some other will
just die off due to a lack of participation. Potential opportunities may exist when we survey relevant
theories in communication, sociology, and computer and information sciences. Understanding this
complex and dynamic relationship is important for harnessing the power of social networks for
marketing purchases, for example discovering opinion leaders. Social exchange theory, social
penetration theory, and social network theory could be valid paradigms in studying and explaining
how people form networks, how they express their opinions, and how they pass information to each
other.
Theoretical frameworks could help avoid technological dominance over our lives and
society. Fast development of technologies could easily overwhelm users, both as business managers

and consumers. Understanding their implications through a global and abstract view could help
them deal with the inundation of information technologies. This chapter will focus on the review of
aforementioned relevant theories, the construction of an integrated theoretical meta- framework, and
more importantly, the implication on the principles of marketing hospitality and tourism business
through social media.

III.

METHODOLOGY
This study uses a quantitative approach. The research instrument to be used is a
survey questionnaire guide. Fishbowl technique is the sampling. This is done by random. The
research is done by following the procedures:
1. Selecting key respondents
2. Administering the test
3. Collecting data
4. Tabulating data
5. Analysing data

IV.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The interpretation that follows shows the result of the survey using a quantitative data.
This is an excerpt of a graphical analysis of the study about the influence of social media on
students. There are 20 respondents overall and 10 questions.

V.

CONCLUSION
I conclude that social media has a great impact on students especially on their studies.
Many have answered that social networking sites or social media has really helped them a lot on
their studies based on the survey. Also some of the respondents set their limitations in using social
networking sites. Social media is one of our daily needs because it can makes our life easier and
comfortable and also social media has helped the students in gratifications drawn in their
academic performance.

VI.

REFERENCES

Hana S. Noor AI Deen and John Allen Hendricks (2012) Social media: Usage and Impact.
Lexington Books, Volume None, Page/s: 307, November 19, 2012
Jomon Aliyas Paul (2012) Effect of online social networking on student. Elsevier Science
Publisher B.V. Amsterdam, Volume 28, Issue 6, Page/s: 2117 2127, November 11, 2012