Role of Social Network Sites in Education during COVID-19 Pandemic in Pakistan

Abstract

The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 caused an increase in the use of smartphones and Social Network Sites for communication and academic purposes, which has affected the academic performance of students. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of social network sites usage on the academic performance of public and private schools students at the Secondary Level. The study's primary objectives were (1) to determine the extent of utilization of SNS by the students during the pandemic era, (2) to investigate the relationship between SNS usage and academic performance of students during the pandemic era. Data was collected through closed-ended questionnaires, and the reliability of the instrument was found by applying Cronbach's Alpha. Collected data was analyzed through various descriptive and inferential tests. Results indicated a significant difference between the Academic Performance of students and the utilization rate of Social Network Sites. Regarding utilization rate, female students showed high utilization than male students. Therefore, the results of this study specify that Social Network Sites Usage has a positive influence on the academic performance of students. Hence it is recommended that students should be encouraged to use social network sites for their academic purpose and to find the right career opportunities. Furthermore, teachers should be trained to guide students on making effective use of SNSs in elevating academic performance.