Excessive Facebook Time Lowers Grades

A study done by researchers at Ohio State University (OSU) indicates that university students who use Facebook tend to spend less time studying and make lower grades. According to researchers OSU, the results show that most students who regularly do social networking on Facebook site perform more poorly on exams by as much as a grade point. Researchers believe that the results hold try to social networks in general, though the study was done specifically on the habits of users of Facebook.

Researchers first surveyed 219 undergraduates and postgraduates about their study habits, grades, and time spent on Facebook. They found that 65% of Facebook users accessed their account daily, often checking it several times for new messages. Some users spent just a couple of minutes each time they checked for new messages, but others surfed for more than an hour each time. The study indicates that 68% of students who used Facebook had a ‘significantly’ lower grade point average than those who did not use the site.

Aryn Karpinski, a researcher in the education department at Ohio State University who lead the research specifies that the discrepancy between grades of Facebook users and non-users is “the equivalent of the difference between getting an A and a B.” It appears that the main issue with the social media application is not the social network itself that is an issue but the time users spend on it.

Karpinski explains, “Our study shows people who spend more time on Facebook spend less time studying.” She adds, “Every generation has its distractions, but I think Facebook is a unique phenomenon.” Karpinski will present the findings in the study at the upcoming annual conference of the American Educational Research Association.