INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS OF BUSITEMA UNIVERSITY A CASE STUDY OF FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
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2026-09-03
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Abstract
This study examined the influence of social media on academic performance of students at Busitema university faculty of science and education nagongera campus. A cross-sectional research design was employed, with data collected from 150 students across the six (6) departments using a structured questionnaire. The study explore the relationship between social media usage, demographic factors(sex, age) and academic performance measured by cumulative grade point average(CGPA). Key findings revealed that 90.2% 0f students actively use social media, with WhatsApp 95%, twitter 64%, and tiktok 63% being the most popular platforms. On average students spend 1-8 hours daily on social media, primarily for communication (42.70%), academic research (45.26%) and accessing the news (12.04%). By bivariate analysis showed significant associations between academic performance and factors such as sex (p=0.043), age (p=0.015). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that female students were 2.5 times more likely to score below 2.79 CGPA compared to males, while students aged 21-24 were more likely to achieve higher CGPAs (3.60-5.00). Despite high social media engagement, the study found no significant negative impact on academic performance when platforms were used for academic purposes. However excessive use of non-academic activities correlated with lower grades. The study concludes that while social media is integral to students life, its impact on academic performance is moderated by usage patterns and demographic variables. Recommendations include; Establish Mentorship and Monitoring Systems, Conduct Periodic Sensitization Campaigns