SOCIAL MEDIA…FAILURE OR SUCCESS?
‘’If you don’t dress well and you stand in front of your mirror, what your mirror would do is to reflect your image back to you’’.
This saying reflects as a perfect example and shows the current setback in the performances of students in Nigeria, as most of them are obsessed with the social media world and refused to perceive the effect of it in their academic performances, which in turn confirmtheir poor and disorganized academic life.
The ever busy activities of students on the trending social media have got one wondering if their absolute focus lies on social media or studies and also kept one contemplating the effect of it on their academic performances, doubting whether social media is a failure or success to students.
Especially those students who tend to check their facebook and twitter while studying and use their instant messenger to disrupt classroom activities.
The social media, according to Wikipedia, is a social interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.
Over the years, social media has exposed students continuously to new ideas and gave them a big chance to feed their creativity by making them more aware of basic aspects of design that are not often taught in schools, taking a look at how students can customize their profile.
Also, the ease and speed with which they can upload pictures or stories has resulted in a better amount of sharing of creative works and improve their artistic abilities.
With social networking, students have learned how to work well in groups and increase productivity with quality of collaboration for them.
Time spent working with new technologies has help students develop more familiarity with computers and other electronic devices which will help them build skills on technology in education and business.
Unlike in the past, when people go through different strain before getting information on trending matters, now, social media provide first hand update on news of national, educative and other essential subject.
However, the social media with all these, has done as much good as bad to our educational structure given the way it has come to stay and will be ever trending.
In the last four years, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results released by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) have been nothing short of a national disappointment.
And recently, it was publicized that this year, 70 per cent of the pupils who sat for WAEC exams failed. I think this massive failure taking a good look at it is well linked with the fact that, most of these pupils no longer have zeal for their studies.
Despite the facts that some of them are not naturally brilliant, you will find out that majority of them arenow very active on social media.
They spend most of their time by being busy on social network and learning how to communicate on yahoo, to become skilled with sham acts, and other sites where they keep conversation going with both their male and female friends.
The same goes to the results from the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam this year, where only 49 per cent scored above 200. Very poor!
I don’t think it should be shocking if I say some of these students, even before graduating from secondary schools, already smoke, drink, and engage in all kinds of dreadful manners.
Most of them are not ready to read their books as they believe in exam malpractices but they are ever ready to surf internet.
Again, the topical issue of the Nigeria Law Studentswith the last Bar final exams that turned out awful.
Although, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Onueze Okocha argued that about 33 percent failed while 51 percent passed.
He claimed the Medias exaggerated by saying over 50 percent of the students failed but not withstanding, it was a most unfortunate development the way the exams turned out.
He also said after they made inquiries into the matter, it was discovered that some of the students were not taking their studies seriously.
And that, some of them were using their iphones, ipads, blackberry phones and other mobile gadgets to communicate with their friends on social networking site while classes and tutorials were going on.
These are all parts of the havoc social media is causing in our educational institutions.
Students have used social media privilege to prop up what is called cyber bullying. An illegal motion that is accomplished by lousy guys and girls by executing unfavorable actions like insulting other folks on World Wide Web by sending illegal text, photo, or online video.
Social media reduces student’s ability to effectively write without relying on a computer’s spell check feature due to social media creation of sloppy attitude towards proper spelling and grammar.
Many students rely on accessibility of information on social media specifically and the web in general to provide answers which means a reduced focus on learning and retaining information.
Students from time to time derive enthusiasm in insulting their teachers or mates who make them come to feel offended or disappointed through their facebook or twitter.
However, with the success and failure it has achieved in the life of students, they have to understand they need to be addicted more to their academics than social media world and resist the temptation of giving social media their total attention.
It is very important for students to realize they have to pay more attention to their academic progress and address any issues concerning their studies because this will go a long way towards keeping the negative aspects of social media from influencing their studies.
Also, students should give ample time for face-to-face social interaction so as to lessen the amount of time spent on social network sites.
Another significant fact they have to comprehend is that, potential employers investigate an applicant’s social networking profiles before granting interviews or acceptance.
This can bring about negative consequences months or years down the road for many of those students who don’t constantly evaluate the content they’re publishing online.
Just like those who are emulating celebrities by posting half nude or completely nude picture/videos on instagram. Another social media application that was launched four years ago and as of December, 2014 has gained over 300 million users.
The instagram is widely used to take, share pictures and videos online. And now, what most celebrities do is share their nude pictures on it. This is what youths are trying to imitate in the name of ‘breaking the internet’.
Students should try and become conscious that this will do them no good, except cause them more harm than any good.
