Detailed Notes on Problematic Social Network Use and Classroom Performance

Overview of Problematic Social Network Use (PSNU)

• Impact on Education: Social networking sites (SNS) have transformed classroom dynamics, offering both opportunities and challenges (Zimmer, 2022).
• Negative Effects: Excessive SNS use may lead to decreased academic performance, potentially confounding the positive social connections these platforms create.

Key Concepts and Theories

• Social Cognitive Theory (SCT): Explains the interactions among personal traits, behavior, and environmental factors; suggests that PSNU can adversely affect academic outcomes.
• Reciprocal Determinism: The interdependence of personal factors (self-control), behavior (SNS use), and the environment (academic performance).

Antecedents of PSNU

1. Self-Control

• Defined as the ability to regulate one's behavior intentionally.
• Stronger self-control correlates with lower PSNU levels.
• Hypothesis 1: A negative relationship exists between self-control and PSNU.

2. Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)

• Describes a concern that others are having rewarding experiences that one is missing.
• Higher levels of FoMO are associated with increased SNS use and poorer academic performance.
• Hypothesis 3: A positive relationship exists between FoMO and PSNU.

3. Computing Engagement

• Engagement reflects how involved a student is with technology in educational settings.
• More engagement with SNS may lead to problematic use during classes.
• Hypothesis 4: A positive relationship exists between engagement and PSNU.

Consequences of PSNU

• Task Distraction: PSNU contributes significantly to distraction in a classroom setting, impacting students' focus on academic tasks.
• Academic Performance: There's a demonstrated negative correlation between PSNU and academic grades.
• Hypothesis 5: A negative relationship exists between PSNU and class performance.
• Hypothesis 7: No significant relationship was observed between task distraction and course performance, contradicting some prior studies.

Methodology

• Participants: 219 undergraduate students from an information systems course participated after voluntary consent.
• Measures: Established scales were utilized to assess constructs like PSNU, self-control, FoMO, and task distraction, ensuring reliability and validity through various statistical analyses (PLS).

Results Summary

• Supported Hypotheses:
  • Self-control negatively relates to PSNU (β = −0.25, p = 0.004).
  • FoMO positively relates to PSNU (β = 0.22, p = 0.010).
  • Engagement positively relates to PSNU (β = 0.22, p = 0.028).
  • PSNU negatively impacts task distraction (β = 0.28, p = 0.006).
  • PSNU negatively impacts academic performance (β = −0.20, p = 0.037).
• Not Supported Hypothesis: No significant relationship found between task distraction and performance (β = −0.02, p = 0.780).

Discussion and Implications

• Student and Faculty Strategies:
  • Enhance self-control support in classrooms; e.g., clear engagement strategies.
  • Utilize technology effectively to promote learning rather than distraction.
  • Address FoMO through course design, making learning experiences more engaging.
• Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research:
  • Potential respondent biases and the need for longitudinal studies to explore these dynamics more deeply over time.
  • Investigations into the effects of online learning environments established post-COVID and their impact on PSNU need further exploration.