Effect of social media usage on junior high school final year pupils’ academic performance

Abstract

Social media has been a major stay in the minds of students and the world at large, thereby causing a lot of damage to students, teachers, and even educational administrators at large. This study sought to assess the impact of social media on junior high school final-year pupils’ academic performance in the Bawku Municipality, Upper East, and the role of guidance and counseling. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Simple random sampling was used to select 100 respondents for the study. The data collection tool employed was questionnaire. The study revealed that the social media used by the final year pupils in this study were mostly WhatsApp and Facebook; which influences their academic performance. However, this effect could be turned into positive by providing the learning platforms, encouraging online learning, and providing accessibility to academic information. The study further indicated that overuse of social media by pupils brings about distraction and cyberbullying. The study revealed that the predominant coping strategies used by pupils were seeking counseling, switching off their phones, and deleting social media apps from their phones. The study recommended that the school administration, in collaboration with the school’s counseling center and school counselor, organize workshops, lectures, and seminars occasionally for pupils’ so that they can be equipped with the positive and negative aspects of social media in their academic lives.