Social networking affects study habits and academic achievement of Secondary School students

Sanjib Kumar Sarma

(sanjibsarmabajali@gmail.com)

Secondary education occupies a very strategic position in the educational pattern of the country. It is the link between primary education and higher education. The University Education Commission 1948–1949, which was appointed under the chairmanship of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, remarked that “our secondary education remains the weakest link in our educational machinery and needs urgent reform.” A very good and conducive learning environment encourages students study habits and might have a positive impact on their academic performances, but students reading in an unfavourable environment might find it difficult to study, which may affect their academic achievements. Students with financial constraints might also find it difficult to perform exceptionally well in their academics. However, students study habits should contribute to their academic performance. Some students do not attend classes, do not take notes, do not do their assignments, do not read their books, or make use of the library. The distressing phenomena of scholastic underperformance and failure have caused serious concern to educationists, guidance counsellors, and educational planners for several decades, as this amounts to a colossal wastage of resources available for education. This necessitates a serious probe into the causes and factors that underlie underachievement and failure, so that means could be devised to grapple with these enormous problems. The rise in social networking usage has gradually changed the educational trend among students. The evolution of these sites has entirely changed the concept of learning. Social networking use by the students at this particular stage plays a very dominant role in the development of study habits and academic achievement. This study indicates to what extent secondary school students are engaged in social networking and how this variable contributes to their study habits as well as their academic achievement.

In the past few years, India has witnessed a drastic change in the existence and usage of social networking. Social networking creates a vital setting for users to communicate and expand their personal and professional networks. In the past, Culnan and Markus (1987) used the sentence “cues filtered out approach” in one of their works, which today very well explains the positive development of relationships by skipping the physical and social cues. In online communication, people feel less self-conscious and are more profuse with their expressions. Thus, it helps in creating a comfortable atmosphere where people can share their thoughts and expressions.

In the digital era, the integration of social networking may possibly have an influence on the perception, cognition, and learning of a student. When a student ratifies their performance in learning, the functioning of a role increases or decreases on the basis of encouragement and discouragement based on the environment and social settings. Thus, a student’s immediate social circle very much influences his lifestyle, which also involves his academic performance. Due to the usage of social networking sites and the increasing number of friends on these sites, the perception of learning and education among students is changing. Moreover, students’ study habits and academic achievement depend on various cognitive and non-cognitive behaviours. In an academic environment, social networking influences role performance, social ranking, self-concept, social values, etc. In the present era of digitalization, real-time and discussion forum learning influence the understanding and learning habits of students. Since social networking has invaded the lives of students, research on the related topic is very much necessary, not only to evaluate issues but also to measure their effects. On a microscale, social networking connects individuals and, on a macroscale, groups, organisations, and institutions altogether. With such wide usage of social networking among secondary school students, a lot of concern comes from parents, teachers, administrators, educationists, and psychologists. It is therefore crucial to check the impact of social networking on the study habits and academic achievement of secondary school students.

Indian society is substantially stratified, owing to which students entering the schools vary in their values, ideas, and socio-economic status. This variation even affects the aspirations of these students. Socio-economic status plays a significant role in determining the academic behaviour of students. Socio-economic status (SES) refers to the social and economic ranking of people who are supposed to be and are consequently ranked by all members of the community in socially higher or lower positions. All the members of the society are ranked in an inclusive order. Members of different classes differ in their lifestyle, which includes their source of income, pattern of good consumption, family rituals, social and customary norms, occupation or profession, etc. The role of social networking in the study habits and academic achievement of students has multiple dimensions. The lifestyle of today can be defined as ‘hustle and bustle’. It is a matter of question how the increasing usage of social networking is affecting our coherent thinking ability. Social Networking has changed the face of interaction and communication and has now virtually dominated every facet of human life. The integration of such technologies has a huge influence on social interaction among individuals. It is also apparent from the available literature that these sites play a vital role in family relationships. Widespread online activities among children have a deleterious influence on the quality of parent-child relationships. Undeniably, social networking is now the chief factor in moulding the attitudes, convictions, values, and lifestyles of children. Youth are more open to sharing their glitches online as it does not require eye contact and no nonverbal cues, which also does not complicate the communication.

Social networking use by the students at this particular stage plays a very dominant role in the development of study habits and academic achievement. This study indicates to what extent secondary school students are engaged in social networking and how this variable contributes to their study habits as well as their academic achievement.

Therefore, it is the responsibility of the school administration, teachers, and parents to provide a conducive environment and adequate resources for the secondary school students at home as well as in the schools so that the students minds can be moulded into resourceful and responsible individuals. Gender difference is taken as a demographic variable in the study as it helps in defining the appropriate roles of males and females in society, which acts as a critical lens in determining the changing stereotype attitude of society towards education.