Effect of Social Media Usage on the Psychological Wellbeing and Academic Performance among graduating Students at Debre Berhan University, Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of social media usage on graduating student’s psychological wellbeing and academic performance at Debre Berhan University. A cross sectional descriptive survey research involving quantitative approach was employed. The participants were 321 graduating regular students (201 males & 120 females). Social media usage, psychological wellbeing and academic performance inventories were used to analyze the research objectives. In the study four research objectives were identified to examine if (1) there was significant correlation between students social media usage, psychological wellbeing and academic performance (2) social media usage predicts student’s psychological wellbeing and (3) social media usage influences students’ academic performance. The descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used for the interpretation of the collected data. The correlation result revealed that there was association among social media usage, psychological wellbeing and academic performance. Multivariate analysis of partial eta squared also indicated that social media usage had significantly positive influence on psychological wellbeing. With regard to the influence of social media usage on academic performance multivariate analysis revealed a statistically significant positive influence (F (8, 278) = 2.03, p = .000; Wilks’ Lambda = .165; partial eta squared = .202). Based on the results, it was recommended that university instructors and parents of the students should make awareness to decrease the negative impacts social media usage on students psychological wellbeing and academic performance and in turn to bring for positive influence to a level that benefit students.