MEASUREMENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND THEIR IMPACT ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AMONG SHKODRA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to ascertain the extent of social media utilisation among students and to evaluate its impact on their well-being, health and academic performance. Methods: The present study is based on the collection of quantitative data from young people regarding their interest in social media and its impact on their everyday lives. The study was conducted using a detailed questionnaire, and 440 students from the University of Shkodra "Luigj Gurakuqi" participated. The statistical software package SPSS 26.0 was used to analyse and collect data. In this study, values of p ≤ .05 with 95% CI were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean duration of time spent on social media per day was found to be approximately three hours, with a standard deviation of 1.5 hours. A significant proportion, 87.73% (386/440), of the students expressed the view that social media has a detrimental effect on young people, with 95.45% of respondents believing that it disseminates false information. The impact of SM on students' academic performance, such as addiction, distraction, and spending unlimited hours on the internet away from reading books, are well documented among students. Conclusions: In conclusion, it is evident that the various negative or positive effects observed from the overuse of media remain a challenge for all policymakers and specialists in the field. It is imperative that they explore alternative solutions to mitigate the issue of young people developing an addiction to media.