After doing research on this claim, I have found that social media does affect college students in positive and negative ways. Many studies have found that spending an extended amount of time on social media can lead to distracting students from studying, lower the productivity of students, and sometimes can be connected to lower academic performance. Even so, social media can also be a great and easy way for college students to connect and communicate with classmates, friends, and their family. Overall, I found that this claim is mostly supported, but recognizing that there isn't just harm on social media and the effects that it can have on students depends on how much students use it and what they are using it for.
My first source was a paper I read by Qingya Wang, Wei Chen, and Yu Liang. This research paper explains how they surveyed 48 college students at Johnson and Wales university on their social media use. This study found that 45% of students reported that they spend 6-8 hours a day checking social media, while 23% of students spent more than 8 hours. The researchers ended up finding that although social media is very common within college students, there are negative aspects when large amounts of time are spent on it.
A second study I found was by Lei Zhao. This study looked directly at college students and compared them to students who are addicted to social media with students who are not. In the study it was found that different types of social media can have different effects on students well-being. This shows that social media can have a negative impact when being used excessively or when one becomes addicted to it.
Terri Pinyerd did a study where she surveyed 100 students at the University of Hawaii between the ages of 17 and 22. 53% of students said that social media negatively impacted their studying habits, while 14% said it helped them with their studies. But, at the same time 50% of students said social media had a positive effects on their social and personal lives as it helped them stay connected with friends and family. This source shows both sides of the claim which I thought was very helpful to get information on either side.
Each of these sources have limitations or a potential bias. In the first study only 48 students were surveyed which does not represent all college students. The second study focused on students in Oman so it may be different than the US. All of these studies were limited due to not being able to show for the entire population of college students, but overall the sources are very useful and provide good information.
The evidence supports this claim because the studies found that social media is a hindrance on college students studying habits and academic performance. One of the studies found that 53% of students believed that social media negatively affected their study habits, while another study found a relationship between gpa and amount of time on social media. The research also shows that social media can affect the students well-being, which shows it goes much further beyond academics.
There was no evidence that really undermined this claim, the only thing is the parts where the opposing side is talked about a little from students opinion. Like how 50% of students explained how social media is a positive in their social and personal lives because it helped them stay connected. But that statement did not have anything to do with how it affected their academic performance.
Based on all of the information I found, I would say this claim is true. Social media takes time away from studying and can negatively affect students when it becomes distracting or is being excessively used. However, social media is also an important way for college students to be able to communicate, maintain their relationships, and sometimes with school.
