Quit Social Media, Get Better Grades

A new study done by Dr James Wakefield from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has shown that academic performance of students can be improved vastly if they devoted lesser time to Facebook or other social media platforms. The research data showed that performance of high achievers were unaffected by time spent on Facebook while those with lower grades saw their performance plummet. Students taking part in the study spent on average nearly two hours a day on Facebook, however some were on the social networking site in excess of eight hours a day. 
According to Dr James Wakefield, low achievers may lack in self-regulation and focus. This gets worse when they spent more time on FB. Those students scored 10% marks lesser if they spent three hours a day on FB which is substantially higher than the average of just under two hours. The research, recently published in Computers & Education with co-author Dr Jessica Frawley from the University of Sydney, aims to help educators better understand the impact of social networking use on a student's educational achievement. 
While the research applies to university students studying STEM and business degrees, it is likely to also be relevant to high school students who use social media. More than 500 students enrolled in the first year subject 'Introductory Accounting' at an Australian university took part in the study, with an average age of 19.Researchers assessed the students' general academic achievement using their weighted average mark (WAM) across all of their studies, and surveyed them about their Facebook use.