From a total population of 223 million, Pakistan had 46 million social media users till January 2021. The figures are not ignorable at all!
Increased affordability and availability of smartphones and the internet have accelerated the use of Social Media to a great extent.
As per the figures provided by the Datareportal in Digital 2021, the number of Social Media users increased by 9 million in Pakistan between 2020 and 2021.
Technological advancements have transformed traditional communication patterns, both in terms of mediums and frequency. The increasing popularity of social media and networking sites are used not only for communication and connection building, but also for spreading awareness about a particular issue, promoting a business or marketing a service, or running a campaign.
A group of 4 researchers from different universities in China and Saudi Arabia conducted a study to determine the impact of social media on the learning behavior of Pakistani students for sustainable education. Jaffar Abbas, Jaffar Aman, Muhammad Nurrunnabi, and Shehar Bano (2019) examined the constructive and destructive factors that impact studentsโ minds in one or another way using the clustered sampling method. The study targeted university students from all provinces of Pakistan falling in the age range of 16 to 35 years. Researchers experienced a great response rate by receiving 831 completed responses from 1013 total questionnaires distributed to collect data for analysis.
Although social media and networking sites are popular among all age groups and segments of society, university students are comparatively more active social media users since they usually have easy access to the internet and own a personal smartphone or computer. Social media is one of the essential elements in the life of university students as it provides them a great platform to hang out with their friends, keep themselves updated about social and educational events, build and nurture professional and personal connections, and a lot more. Being such a prevalent factor, social media directly impacts students’ learning behavior for sustainable education.
The researchers applied Social Gratification Theory to analyze and investigate studentsโ behavior regarding social media usage. This theory explains how people use media to fulfill their different needs and are satisfied when these needs are met.
The results of this research listed positive as well as negative impacts of social media usage on students learning behavior for sustainable education.
On the constructive side, social media found to help students to:
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- Easily share their lectures
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- Communicate freely
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- Maintain contacts
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- Reduce educational expenses by avoiding the costs of purchasing books
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- Accelerate confidence
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- Feel relaxed and stress-free
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- Improve communication skills
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- Create awareness and
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- Increase knowledge
However, the list of negative factors includes the following:
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- Wastage of time
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- Anxiety and depression
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- Low or no use of critical thinking
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- Poor writing skills
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- Reduced focus on studies
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- Laziness
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- Health issues and
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- Problematic communication
The study findings revealed that the negative impacts of social media usage on studentsโ behavior are greater and more prominent as compared to the positive ones. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
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