Social media is deeply intertwined with our lives. 4.48 billion people worldwide are using social media one way or another. Even though the degree or time using it differs from country to country and individual to individual, they all have a social media account. The competition between these platforms is huge and more of them pop up on the market.
Even though the most well-known are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tik-Tok, social media platforms such as BeReal are gaining momentum. And students are the ones that are most eager to try all these new apps, platforms, and functionalities. So, many have started wondering if social media has any influence on students’ performance in college. Let’s find out together.
Time Spent on Social Media
College student use of social media differs from student to student and, of course, its interests. However, spending time on social media might not be a conscious choice. The role of social media in student life is essential and it comes with both positive and negative effects. College students spend at least two hours daily on social media and other platforms. However, it is crucial to note that a large part of them is spending a lot more hours online. This may, in turn, affect their student engagement and performance. There are examples of student loses scholarship over social media, as the addiction is easy to be created. You can get your free social media essays and find out more about student social media and its consequences on the mental health and performance of students.
Keeping Informed
One of the positive effects of spending time on social media is keeping yourself updated with the latest news. You can learn about any subject or event that happened in the opposite part of the Earth in a matter of minutes. This helps students shape their worldview, but also understand how the world develops and evolves.
At the same time, social media is the environment where you can keep connected with the community you are part of. For example, if there are any parties or events that take place within the campus, you can easily find out. On top of this, any event, webinar, training, or presentation that takes place online or offline can catch the attention of students and convince them to be part of them.
They can gather a lot of information on social media on a wide variety of subjects. These platforms are a vast place and you can find almost anything there. For example, some students love keeping themselves updated with the latest fashion trends and they can easily follow them on social media.
Mental Health Consequences
However, even though there are positive effects of spending time on social media, most of them are negative. Our brains are not used to having access to so much information. And nowadays, on social media, you will see a perfect life portrayed. The perfect family, the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect trip. But many students and others who spend their time on social media fail to keep in mind that people decide what to post there.
They want to show the best bits of their lives and they make their followers believe that all their days are like this. Comparing yourself with the ones you follow on social media is inevitable. And the more time you spend there, the more painful this comparison will become. The fear of missing out is a real thing and it’s created by social media and technology. Our time in a day is limited, so you need to carefully select what you do with your time. But when you are presented with so many options and experiences you could start, you may feel the burden of not doing them all.
Addiction to social media is a real thing and it leads to anxiety, depression, loneliness, social isolation, sleeping problems, and many more. This affects not only the mental health of students but their academic performance too. The more time you spend on social media, the more intense these feelings and emotions will be.
Final Thoughts
Social media is one of the greatest inventions that made our lives easier. Keeping connected with what happens in your city but in the world too is nice. You find out among the first what parties follow and what events you could take part in. However, excessive use of social media creates an addiction. And it leads to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
