The Impact of Social Networking Sites on Academic Achievement An Applied Study on a Sample of Students from the Faculty of Arts, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of social networking sites on the academic achievement of students at the Faculty of Arts, Omar Al-Mukhtar University in Libya, by identifying usage patterns, motives, and the resulting positive and negative effects. The study adopted the descriptive-analytical approach and used a questionnaire as the data collection tool, with a sample of 235 male and female students.

The results showed that Facebook was the most commonly used platform (43.83%), followed by WhatsApp (34.04%), It was also found that the majority of students use social networking sites for more than 3 hours daily, with a total percentage of 57.45%. The most prominent motives for use were exchanging messages with family and friends (72.77%), entertainment (64.26%), followed by educational and knowledge-related purposes (56.60%).

On the positive side, social networking sites contributed to enhancing social communication (50.21%), supporting the educational process through following academic materials (56.17%), and communicating with faculty members (54.47%). On the other hand, the results revealed clear negative effects, most notably late-night use (56.17%), reduced concentration (53.19%), and decreased academic achievement (46.81%), in addition to their impact on time management.

The study concluded that social networking sites represent a dual-impact tool for students, combining academic support and social communication on one hand, and distraction and reduced achievement on the other, which calls for guiding their use in a more rational manner within the university environment.