Social Media Utilization And Students’ Academic Performance
[A CASE STDUY OF ALIMOSHO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, LAGOS STATE]

Social media networks that students are more exposed to and the influence of social media as a medium of interaction between students have been part of discussion in recent times and which have imparted on their academic performance negatively. However, no matter how small, there are some gains in the sites too if sincerely approached. Instead of students reading their books, they spend their time chatting and making friends, sharing obscene materials via the social media and this might definitely have negative influence on their academic performance, because when you do not read, there is no way you can perform well academically. It is a common thing to see a student chatting in sensitive and highly organized places like church, mosque and classroom environments. Some are so carried away that even as they are walking along the highway, they keep chatting, the scenario that has made some to lose their lives after they are hit by cars, motorcycles or crushed by trains. The trend had even made the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to banned the use of phone while driving because of its risk to life as many drivers have lost their lives, wasted the lives of their passengers and pedestrians as a result of chatting, pinging, face booking, twittering, 2going, etc  behind the wheel on the road.
The manufacturing and distribution of equally sophisticated cellular phones has complicated the situation, as students no longer need to visit a cybercafé before they send and receive messages, pictures, music, videos, etc. Attention has been shifted from visible to invisible friends, while important ventures like study and writing might be affected in the process. This phenomenon has become a source of worry to many who believe in knowledge and skills acquisition.
In recent times, social media have been a major stay in the minds of students and the world at large thereby causing a lot of concern to teachers, educational administrators and government at large. It is therefore of great importance to explore some of the trending issues facing students’ academic performance as a result of social media. Students at all levels of learning now have divided attention to studies, as a result of available opportunities to be harnessed from social media. Whether these opportunities promote studies or not, is a question that requires an answer. Thus, the effect of social networking sites on students’ academic performance should not be treated with levity as education is the bedrock for all development and technological advancement. The study, therefore, investigates the influence of social media networks on the academic performance of the secondary school students in Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State.
1.3 Research Questions                                     The following research questions were raised to guide the study:
1.    What is the level of social media utilization on educational attainments and behavioural outcomes of students in secondary schools?
2.    To what extent would students’ addictiveness to social network influence their academic performance?
3.    Does time spent on social networking sites reduced time spend on studies?
4.    Do students in secondary schools actually employ the social networking sites to gather academic-related information, social-related information or information that injures their mind and divert their attention from studies? 
5.    Does students’ exposure to social networking sites affect their behavioural conduct in schools?
6.    Do more successful students connected on social media than less successful students?