Does Social Networking Enhance

or Impede Student Learning?

Sharon Medeiros, Eddie Gillies, John Ferreira, & Emily Hyde
What is Social Networking?
● Definition
● Initially began in 1997 with the website
“SixDegrees”
● LiveJournal was created in 1999
● Friendster was created in 2002
● Shortly followed afterward by MySpace, LinkedIn,
Youtube, and Facebook.
Social Media Statistics
● 81% of millennials check twitter at least once a day.
● 75% of male internet users are on Facebook as well as 83% of
female internet users.
● 22% of the world’s total population uses Facebook.
● Facebook continues to be the most widely used social media
platform, with 79% of American internet users.
● The average LinkedIn user spends 17 minutes on the site per
month.
● 60% of Instagram users are between the age of 18-29 years old
● 51% of Instagram users access the platform daily, and 35% say
they look at the platform several times per day.
● Almost 80% of time spent on social media platforms happens on
mobile.
Facebook
● Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg
● Initially limited to Harvard students,
then expanded to other institutions. It
quickly became global afterward.
● 2.2 Billion active Users
● Allows users to share photos, videos,
messages, links, and status updates
● Can be used in a professional or
informal context.
Twitter
● Founded on March 21, 2006
● There are 241 million monthly active
users for Twitter (500 million Tweets are
sent per day)
● 23% of accounts are from U.S. 77% are
outside of the U.S (76% active mobile
Twitter users)
● How to Use Twitter in 2018:
○ https://blog.twilert.com/2018/06/twitter-tips-
beginners/
○ http://www.spinfold.com/40-amazing-and-
interesting-facts-about-twitter/
Instagram
● Launched in 2010
● Post pictures, videos, & temporary
“stories”
● Follow people, businesses,
organizations, institutions, etc.
● 800 million monthly active users
● Hashtags (#) and trending topics
Snapchat
● Launched in 2011
● Share quick photos and videos with
friends
● Post pictures and videos to
temporary “stories”
● Snapchat Map
● Used by people, organizations,
businesses, etc.
● 180 million users
● Not commonly used in classroom
settings
LinkedIn
● Founded in 2003
● World’s largest social network of professionals
● Groups of trusted, connected professionals share
knowledge and job opportunities
● LI profiles increase chances for people to appear
at the top of search results when their name is
searched
● Dashboard of news updates and other
publications from LI connections
● Search to connect with classmates/alumni, co-
workers and other connections
● LinkedIn advertises their services as a recruiting
tool for employers, marketing services, and sales
tool for professional products and services
Pros
● Students can engage with each other to share ideas and problem solve (I.e.
Blackboard discussion posts)
● Online identity formation (I.e. how students portray themselves on Facebook
or LinkedIn)
● Provides shy students with information about others that may lead to face-to-
face interactions (I.e. finding commonalities or similar interests)
● Interact with other students who have had different experiences or are from a
different background
Pros (Continued)
● Helps students connect with campus communities and organizations
(I.e. finding club meeting times on the club’s social media)
● Plan face-to-face interactions and work collaboratively (I.e. sharing
documents with one another in Facebook group chats)
● Develop leadership skills (I.e. from small things like planning events to
large things like promoting activism and social change — #ThisIsBSU
campaign for Black History Month)
● Interact with faculty and campus leaders (I.e. using Twitter to share
ideas and articles)
Cons
● Social Media Use linked to lower psychological well-being (stress and
depression) (Twenge, Martin, & Campbell, 2018)
● Increased Electronics-Use (including social media) leads to lower GPA’s
● Study done on College Students
○ Reasoning: Social Media was multi-tasked with academic focus, causing
learning distraction (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011).
● Concerns of Privacy
● Social Media is addictive
Cons (Continued)
● Online presence can impact your real life (Yang &
Brown, 2013)

● ”Instant Gratification” leads to:

A. Less patience
B. Greater Impulsivity
C. Less Tenacity
D. Decreased Critical Thinking Skills

● Does education using social media require enough

academic rigor and deep, cognitive thought? (Connolly,
2011)
Let’s talk about it…
1. What are pros and cons of connecting with professors and
supervisors on social networks?
2. Can a professor require students to use their own personal
social media in the classroom? Possible consequences?
3. Have you seen any real-world academic impacts from
social media? Positive or negative?
Self-Assessment
So, what do you think...

Does social networking

enhance or impede
student learning?
Looking to the Future of Social Media
● Constantly growing and evolving
● Propel-BSU: iPad initiative and technology in the classroom
● Gen Z reliance on social media
References
Connolly, M. (2011). Does social networking enhance or impede student learning? In P. Magolda & M.

Magolda (Eds.), Contested issues in student affairs (pp. 122-141). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Jacobsen, W.C., & Forste, R. (2011). The wired generation: Academic and social outcomes of electronic

media use among university students. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14(5),

275-280.

Twenge, J. M., Martin, G. N., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Decreases in psychological well-being among

American adolescents after 2012 and links to screen time during the rise of smartphone

technology. Emotion, 18(6), 765–780.

References Continued
Yang, C., & Brown, B. B. (2013). Motives for using Facebook, patterns of Facebook activities, and late

adolescents’ social adjustment to college. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 403-416.
Web Resources
https://instagram-press.com/

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/25/how-many-users-does-instagram-have-now-800-million.html

https://blog.twilert.com/2018/06/twitter-tips-beginners/

http://www.spinfold.com/40-amazing-and-interesting-facts-about-twitter/

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/01/05/social-media-marketing-statistics

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3194102/

https://sites.google.com/site/alumniguide/linkedin-gtown/linkedin---an-overview

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-online-secrets/201709/are-you-social-media-addict
Web Resources Continued
http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

https://about.linkedin.com

https://business.linkedin.com/

https://sites.google.com/site/alumniguide/linkedin-gtown/linkedin---an-overview

https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/scicurious/social-media-privacy-no-longer-personal-choice

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

https://whatis.snapchat.com/