Assessing the Positive Side of Social Media vis-à-vis learning among Students of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria

Abstract

This study assessed the influence of social media on the academic performance of the students of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria. The study was set to find out how students use social media, to what extent social media support academic performance, and the influence of social media on the academic performance of the students'. Quantitative survey method was used for this study. Population of the study was students of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria and 365 respondents constituted the sample size of the study.  The findings showed that majority of the respondents are engaged in the use of social media platforms with Facebook as the pre-dominant social media site used by the respondents. Also, majority of the respondents strongly agreed that social media had influence on their academic performance positively. Equally, they used the social media for assignments and research to improve their academic activities. The study also found that majority of the respondents are satisfied with the information they accessed on the social media platforms as it helps them to conduct their academic activities. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the use of social media by students of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic should be guided and supported in an effort to contribute to the task of educating them more, and prevent them from accessing negative contents that can jeopardize academic activities of the students.