EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN NURSING STUDENTS

Abstract

Social media is now a part of everyday life for university students. It gives students opportunities to learn new things and connect with people. However, social media can also be a distraction for students and can pull them away from their studies. Many students have difficulty managing their time, do not get enough sleep, and have trouble focusing. All these factors can affect how well students perform academically. Social media can be a problem for university students because excessive or inappropriate use can negatively affect their academic performance. Therefore, university students need to be careful about how they use social media. This study examined how social media use affects the academic performance, specifically the grade point average (GPA), of nursing students enrolled in private nursing colleges. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 107 undergraduate nursing students selected through purposive sampling, using a structured, self-administered questionnaire comprising the Social Media and Academic Performance of Students Scale (Osharive, 2015) and the Social Media Addiction Scale–Student Form (Cengiz, 2018). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test in SPSS Version 26. Participants spent an average of 4.83 hours (SD = 3.77) per day on social media, and the mean social media addiction score was 86.40 (SD = 13.78). No statistically significant association was found between overall social media usage and GPA (χ², p = .223). However, students who used platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp more frequently tended to report lower GPAs, whereas social media use for academic purposes was not associated with poorer academic performance. The effect of social media on students' academic performance therefore depends largely on how it is used. When students use social media appropriately and focus on academic activities, it can support their learning. On the other hand, excessive use for non-academic purposes can negatively affect their academic performance. Academic performance is strongly influenced by how students manage their time. When students use their time effectively for academic activities, their academic performance can improve. However, when they spend excessive amounts of time on non-academic activities, their academic performance may suffer. Therefore, nursing institutions should help students develop a healthy balance between social media engagement and academic responsibilities.