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

    In a study of 884 students of different universities in Nigeria by Olowu and Seri (2012), indication showed that students in Nigeria are spending too much time on social networking sites at the detriment of other necessary things such as their studies. They explained that students’ use of these social networking sites even point towards obsession. The youths have made the social media their top priority and continued to need more usage in order to feel satisfied.
    In Ogedebe, Emmanuel and Musa (2012), a study on Facebook and Academic Performance in Nigeria Universities was carried out on 122 university students; they tested six hypotheses to know the effect of Facebook on the academic performance of students in selected universities. The study tested among other hypotheses that the more time a student spends on Facebook, the lower his or her grade point average will be. In Olubiyi (2012), the author observed that the bone of contention of the social media is the obsessive attitude of Nigerian youths towards its use. He pointed out that students waste their time through idle chats and other immoral acts. Students are so engrossed in the social media networks that they are almost 24 hours online. Even in classrooms and lecture theatres, it has been observed that some students are always busy pinging, 2going or Facebooking, while lectures are ongoing. The result is that quality time that ought to be spent on academic research and other productive networking is lost.
2.4     Students’ Exposure to Social Media
    It has been observed in recent times that students have unlimited access to the internet as well as the social media. Students connect with computer to send and receive information anywhere in the globe. The manufacturing and distribution of equally sophisticated cellular phones has aided the situation, as students no longer need to visit a cybercafé before they send and receive messages. Some schools are so equipped that there is internet connection made available within the school premises as well as in the library for students to have access to the internet through wifi. Online Wikipedia and blogs are the main resource centers for students as attention have been shifted from making research in the library to overall dependence on these social platforms. It is a common thing to see a student reading in the library and putting the books aside on hearing the sound of a ping on the phone.
2.5     Students’ Academic Performance
    Wikipedia defines academic achievement or (academic) performance as the outcome of education-the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals. Academic performance is commonly measured by examinations or continuous assessment. This implies that the academic performance represents performance outcomes that indicate the extent to which a student has accomplished specific goals that were the focus of activities in instructional environments, especially in school, college and university. In educational institutions, success is measured by academic performance, or how well a student meets standards set out. As career competition grows fiercer in the working world, the importance of students doing well in school has caught the attention of parents, legislators and government education departments alike. Parents care about their child’s academic performance because they believe good academic results will provide more career choices and job security. Performance in school is evaluated in a number of ways. For regular grading, students demonstrate their knowledge by taking written and oral tests, performing presentations, turning in homework and participating in class activities and discussions. Teachers evaluate in form of letter or number grades and side notes, to describe how well a student has done. In another instance, students are evaluated by their performance on standardized tests geared toward specific ages and based on a set of achievements students in each age group are expected to meet.
2.6 Influence of Social Media Networks on Students’ Academic     Performance
    With the increasing number of students being preoccupied with social media networks and technological social lives, how will this affect their studies? It is estimated that even those students who do graduate from high school, one out of three does not have possess the knowledge and skills that would lead him or her to the next level, such as college or an advanced trade school (Bowen, 2008). Also, Williams (2008) opined that the current generations of teens live in a fast-paced technological world with many different types of communication happening all at the same time. According to him for example, he or she may be on the computer on a SNS while also talking on the phone, sending instant messages to a friend, and emailing someone else all at the same time (Williams, 2008).
“While there may be some advantages to this, such as the teen learning how to type faster and multi-task many things at once, there may also be a breakdown in much of that communication”  (Williams, 2008).