Social Media Effects on Academic Performance: Perceptions of Prospective Teachers

In today's modern society, technological advancement wrought the mosaic of social media. The evolved platform of social media has gained more currency and significance in everybody’s life. Social media is a platform for global communication, information sharing, and interaction among individuals and groups. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of prospective teachers of social media's effects on the academic performance of undergrads, strategies that improve academic performance, and the coping strategies that offset the negative influence of social media. In methodology, applying constructivist and interpretivist philosophical stances, the qualitative case study design was adopted. The sample was selected through a purposive sampling technique. The data collection was sourced from focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The data analysis was achieved by adopting within and cross-data thematic analysis processes. The study findings showcased social media’s dual influences on the academic performance of prospective teachers. The finding also suggested that social media serves as a platform to socialize and indirectly improve academic excellence. Time and mind management surfaced as key coping strategies to deter the negative influences of social media. The findings imply that students are now mentally more inclined to exploit social media offerings; however, in the absence of a proper support system, students and teachers will fail to tap into media technology and receive updates for teaching and learning. The recommendation necessitates that students maximize social media use to optimize academic activities that strengthen academic performance.