CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Information communication technology has a significant impact on our lives; it has altered our modes of operation. Furthermore, the Internet is continually assessing our personal, social, and professional roles. It has a wealth of information and a variety of recreations. (Qazi & Fiaz, 2011) Over 90% of university students and faculty members use Facebook and other social networking sites on a daily basis. Technology paves the way for advancement. It is critical because it has hastened the development of compact communication devices; devices that are easily available to anybody, anytime, and anywhere and contain little CPU processors; iPads with steady, stable, and unpretentious headphones; and so forth.

As long as there is widespread access via collective webs, which is an inescapable requirement of dependence for any adolescent or adult as practical pleasure. Internet connection alone is insufficient for scholars who are harmed by communal separation (Tariq, Mehboob, Khan & Fasee Ullah, 2012)

Facebook is a social networking website founded by Facebook Inc. in 2004. It was initially designed by Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard University student. In 2012, Facebook has a global user base of 1 billion active users. This figure has been increased to 1.59 million monthly active users (Statista, 2016). Researchers have paid close attention to Facebook. As a social networking site, it provides users with an online platform for creating profiles, creating and sharing material and information, and interacting with known and unknown contacts (Boyd and Ellison, 2014). Facebook has also grown significantly in recent years, resulting in widespread use by people of all generations. Its 661.3 million active users of Facebook shows about 45.2 percent annual growth rate (Inside Facebook Gold, 2011), whereas its commercial value has increased to US$50 billion as a result of an early 2011 investment by Goldman Sachs.

According to Aliyas, Hope, and Justin (2012), 'academic performance is a function of attention span, time management skills, student characteristics, academic competence, and time spent on online social networking sites,' and 'academic competence is defined as a student's ability to manage the required course load and course materials for his or her chosen field of study. Academic performance has always been a concern for educational institutions. While there is agreement that schools should play a significant part in this process, there appears to be dispute over the precise nature of that engagement. While some argue that schools should be primarily focused on academic preparation (Hirsch, 2011; Tienken, & Wilson, 2012).

Today, Facebook has the highest percentage of members of any online social network, and the majority of those members are students from all over the world. Facebook use may have a positive or negative effect on their academic achievement and lives. The widespread usage of Facebook by Edwin Clark students raises the following critical question: Does Facebook use have an effect on students' academic performance and play a positive or bad role in their social and academic lives? The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Facebook on students' academic achievement. What role does Facebook play in producing or obliterating students' academic lives? If you use the internet, you're increasingly likely to utilize Facebook; it's the people's platform for getting the most out of it and a new mode of contact (Kirkpatrick 2010). Other exploratory studies (Canales  2012; Karpinski and Duberstein, 2012) Additionally, research indicates that an extended Facebook presence can have a detrimental influence on productivity and task performance. Long hours spent on Facebook appear to have a detrimental effect on students' academic performance and, consequently, their grades. On average, students spend 30–35 minutes every day on Facebook (Schulten, 2012); Students note that they spend only 3–4 minutes per visit checking for developments, but make multiple visits per day. Others claim to spend up to eight hours every day on the internet. The significance of Facebook usage cannot be overstated. Students' absence from critical study-related activities, classes, and Facebook has a detrimental influence on their academic engagement and performance (Jones, 2014). According to Karipinski and Duberstein (2012), students who spend a lot of time on Facebook have a negative effect on their task performance. Therefore the study center’s on impact of Facebook on academic performance of students in Edwin Clark University

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM              

The swift surge in popularity of social networking sites began in the second half of the last decade largely due of their extensive usage by school and university students. According to Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe (2011), for example, a considerable percentage about (73 percent) of Internet-using teenagers have joined social networking sites by the end of 2012, with over half of them (38 percent ) visiting social networking sites everyday.

At the moment, Facebook is used by a large number of individuals to connect with their friends and family located all over the world (Brydolf, 2014). And the usage of Facebook platforms has risen so rapidly that it has captured the interest of students, who have become so absorbed in the sites that they have almost completely forgotten about their academic work. Students, more than any other group of people, are considered victims of social media sites because they have a detrimental effect on their academic performance of students (Pasek & Hargittai, 2012). University Students easily get diverted to use the various social media platforms when trying to obtain learning materials online. In some cases, the students end up spending almost all their times on the social media and forget about the course materials they originally intended to look for.

Additionally, Ellison et al. (2011) assert that students frequently engage in such internet activities while completing their assignments, which may have a detrimental influence on their academic performance by diverting their attention away from the learning process. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to deny the possibility that there is a clear association between Facebook usage and academic performance demonstrated by students in schools and colleges. Given the problem's recent emergence, the multiple attempts should be made to come up with a response to this dilemma. Additionally, no research has been undertaken on this problem in colleges under review, and the research that has been conducted in industrialized nations on this subject has methodological flaws. As a result, some students are suffering from Facebook addiction. Additionally, Facebook has an effect on students' conduct and performance.. How Facebook prevents university students from concentrating on their studies. These are the issues that have been chosen for this paper. Therefore, the aim of this study is to detect the impact of Facebook on students’ academic performance of Edwin Clark university delta state.

1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To highlight the negative impact of Facebook on student academic performance.

2. To evaluate the extent student are addicted to Facebook usage  

3. To determine the positive impact of Facebook usage on student academic performance.

4. To examine the relationship between Facebook and student academic performance.

5. To recommend ways of improving students’ academic performance.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the negative impact of Facebook on student academic performance?

2. What is the extent student are addicted to Facebook usage?

3. What is the positive impact of Facebook usage on student academic performance?

4. What is the relationship between Facebook and student academic performance?

5. What are the ways of improving students’ academic performance?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: There is no significant impact of Facebook on academic performance of students in Edwin Clark University.

H1: There is a significant impact of Facebook on academic performance of students in Edwin Clark University.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of immense importance towards highlighting the impact of Facebook on student academic performance in Edwin Clark University. This study will also benefit government at all levels, policy makers, political leaders, and all related stakeholder in the quest of identifying the impact of Facebook on student academic performance in Edwin Clark University

Finally, findings from this study will benefit researchers and scholars who are interested on developing further research on the subject matter as this study will serve as future literature.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT: Insufficient funds to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, interview).

Time constraint: The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.8 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is restricted to identifying the impact of Facebook on student academic performance in Edwin Clark University

1.9 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Facebook: Facebook is a website which allows users, who sign-up for free profiles, to connect with friends, work colleagues or people they don’t know, online. It allows users to share pictures, music, videos, and articles, as well as their own thoughts and opinions with however many people they like

Academic performance: Academic performance is the measurement of student achievement across various academic subjects. Teachers and education officials typically measure achievement using classroom performance, graduation rates and results from standardized tests