CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

For many around the globe communications have turned the entire world into a global village through the internet, electronic media and portals. The social networking sites have become one of the most popular ways for people to be better informed, enlightened, exchange messages and keep abreast with almost all of the electronic educated student or youth.

In the ancient days, teens spent hairs alone in their rooms or with close friends playing outside their houses, trying different outfits and modeling around the corner. Now, social networking could be seen as a way of describing the display of everyday practices of social interaction that have played a crucial role in enabling people to communicate on a platform.

Furthermore, social networking sites has becomes a global phenomenon in the past few years. What started out as a hobby for some computer literate people has become a social norms and way of life for people around the globe (Boyd 2007).

Social networking is the social relation among people who share interest, activities and background connections for users to interact over the internet. Living stone and Brake (2010). In their opinion said ‘social networking site like much else on the internet representing a moving target for researchers and policy makers’.

Presently around the world, the use of social networking has enabled networking around the world very simple, students in particular have made browsing social networking sites a daily practices and has reduced the way most student stay connected to their academic activities as many prefer to chat online while many think that social networking has no effects on their academic achievement. These made the researchers to study the habits of students and carefully look into the effect of social networking and how they affect the academic achievement of senior secondary school student in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

1.2              STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In Nigeria, people tend to do what are trending activities especially the student, they are the first who adopt was things particularly in social networking sites.

Since the advent of social media sites in the 1990s. it is assumed in some quarters that the academic achievement of student is facing a lot of neglect and challenges. There is a deviations distraction and divided attention between social networking activities and their academic work.

The sites have led to the biggest problems in our academic environment in which average student spend 9 (nine) house a week on social networking sites (Willard 2009). Also, it is observed that student devote more attention to social media than they do their studies. Therefore, the question this study is out to answer is; what are the effect of social networking and how do they affect the academic achievement of senior secondary students in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

1.3              PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study was determine the effect of social networking on the academic achievement of senior secondary school student specifically the study sought to find out.

i.                    The most patronized social networking by Senior secondary school students

ii.                  The positive effects of social networking on the academic achievement of senior  secondary school student

iii.                The negative effects of social networking on the academic achievement of senior secondary school student.

iv.                If there is any significant relationship between the academic achievement of student and social networking

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1.4              RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i.                    Which social networking sites is mostly patronized by senior secondary school students?

ii.                  What are the positive effects of social networking on the academic achievement of senior secondary school student?

iii.                What are the networking effects of social networking on the academic achievement of senior secondary school student?

iv.                Is there any significant relationship between student’s academic achievement and social networking?

1.5              DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The essence of this research work is to primarily study the effects of social networking on the academic achievement of senior secondary school student in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The research highlighted the concept, history and forms of social networking sites and their effects in academic achievement which intends to focus on senior secondary school students.

1.6              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

For senior secondary school student, the study will reveal to them with more information on the positive and negative effects of social networking on their academic achievement.

In addition, senior secondary school teachers will fond the study useful as the research will help them with more information on the influence of social media on the academic achievement of student.

Moreover, parent and guardians will find the study useful as the findings will reveal to them some factors influence on the academic achievement and their activities on the social networking sites and why they need to properly monitor their children.

Lastly, the study will provide relevance materials for the benefit of other researchers undertaking similar research.

1.7            DEFINITION OF TERMS

Academic achievement: This is the outcome of education on how student deal with studies and how they have achieved different tasks given to them by their teachers.

Social Networking: The use of internet to make information about yourself available to other people especially among people who share interests.            

Education:  This is a social process in which individual achieves social competence and individual growth, carried on in selected controlled setting which can be instructionalize as a school or college.

Students: Someone engaged in studying something or someone who is very interested in a particular subject.

Effects: The aim, purpose produced by an action or state of being operative