While social media has been known to be a positive influence in a number of facets, it can also be a substantial distraction within the realm of academics. This is because social media has the potential to consume excessive amounts of time, create an illusion of ideal lives, provide an overwhelming amount of potentially incorrect content, and influence the priorities of students. It is vital to recognize the ways in which social media can work as a distraction from one’s academic pursuits and implement solutions to particular problems these platforms create.
Recent studies have shown that one of the primary effects social media has on a variety of demographics is increased consumption of time. While time management and allocation is a necessary skill overall, it is especially prevalent within student schedules, which can be especially complex and volatile to change. The academic success of an individual is often dictated by adequate time spent studying or producing projects and work for necessary classes. A balanced lifestyle is similarly vital to the maintenance of an effective academic process (Oghenetega, 2018). As such, the misuse of social media can detrimentally affect not only the allotted time meant for academic pursuits but the overall work-life balance of students.
Social media, though not inherently but often in practice, creates the illusion of an ideal life, career, or even academic participation. This is often visible within self-perception in relation to social media use that provides visual media. This is most prominently seen in beauty ideals promoted on social media platforms, which have been connected to adverse effects such as eating disorders and negative self-images (Aparicio-Martinez et al., 2019). The constant exposure to fictionalized success in work and academics through social media can have the same effects on students, with them fostering a self-perception that assumes that they are in some way inadequate or that their learning style is inefficient.
Some may argue that social media is also a vital tool in learning processes, networking, and the collection of relevant resources. This is true and social media has been noted to be a viable and efficient way to foster non-traditional learning. However, social media and online resources as a whole also have the propensity for potential misinformation and content saturation. Essentially, keeping up with all relevant sources via social media is essentially impossible due to the amount of content and can be increasingly daunting if not harmful to students.
Increased social media use may cause individuals who are more vulnerable to tactics employed by companies that manage the platforms to prioritize their presence on these platforms. While there may be personal ambitions or even financial gain from being more involved with careers rooted in social media, it is just as likely to offer students unsubstantial gains and limitations in their academic abilities. Studies and academic work are usually time and energy-consuming, complex, and the primary focus of students that wish to succeed within their field of study. Prioritizing social media presence or involvement may therefore work as a direct obstacle to academic success.
Social media is an undeniable feature of modern technology and social interaction and has a variety of positive uses and impacts not only on the world but on the academic paths pursued by students. Despite this, it also hosts a number of elements that may range from mildly troublesome to openly harmful for students. This is primarily because misuse of social media can be a dangerous distraction to students from all age groups and effective and reasonable use of these platforms is essential in promoting and maintaining a balanced education in the current day.
References
Aparicio-Martinez, P., Perea-Moren, A. J., Martinez-Jimenez, M. P., Redel-Macías, M. D., Pagliari, C., & Vaquero-Abellan, M. (2019). Social media, thin-ideal, body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes: An exploratory analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(21). Web.
Oghenetega, L. (2018). The impact of social media on academic performance of selected college students. International Journal of Advanced Information Technology, 8(4), 26-35. Web.