THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE (A CASE STUDY OF YANGON UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS)

This study was conducted with the objective of the effect of social media on students’ academic performance at Yangon University of Economics.This study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods.It attempts to analyze the effect of social media on students’ academic performance by applying uses and gratification theory.Primary data as well as secondary data are used in this study. Primary data was mainly collected from 105 students out of total population 150 master studentsusing structured questionnaire with Five-Point Liket Scale to measure the effect of social media during the study period of September 2019.Those who are specialized in commerce, accounting, statistics, economics and population studies. Secondarydata was acquired from the relevant books, articles, journals and internet websites. This collected primary data was analyzed using description means and regression analysis. As part of the behaviors towards social media usage, mostof respondents are female who are in the age of between 23-26. They use 1-2 hour for study and 2-5 hour for spending on social media.Using the regression analysis, three variables (nature of usage of social media, internet addiction and friends and people connection) are significant with academic performance while time appropriateness and perception by students are not significant. This study revealed that social media had a significant positive effect on students’ academic performance at Yangon University of Economics. The results provide students, parents, educators and policy makersconsiderable insight about social media and point out the factors that effecton good academic performance. And it is also suggested for the university that it should provide more academic facilities to be utilized through social media, make students do assignment, case study presentation with applying student’s social media usage fully thereby will lead to be brighter future for the university