Social media, time management skills, and academic performance

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between social media usage, time management skills, and academic performance among Makerere University students. As social media becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, concerns have arisen about its potential impact on students' ability to manage time effectively and, consequently, on their academic success. This research employed a quantitative approach with the pearson correlation study design to explore how different patterns of social media use affected time management behaviors and academic outcomes. The study population consisted of 200 Makerere University students and the sample was picked from the College of Humanities and Social Science (CHUSS) and College of Computing and Information Sciences (COCIS) using the simple random sampling method. The data was collected using online and physical questionnaires that were analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) 23.0. The findings revealed that higher social media use is negatively correlated with academic performance among students at Makerere University. This implies that excessive engagement with social media can detract from academic achievements. Conversely, it found that time management skills are positively correlated with academic performance. This indicated the importance of effective time management in enhancing academic success among students at Makerere University. Lastly, the study found that there is a significant negative relationship between social media use and time management among students. This suggests that increased social media use may hinder students' ability to manage their time effectively.