Abstract:
The main aim of this study was to assess effects of social media usage on academic performance in the case of Ambo secondary school students. The research used explanatory design in nature and employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. For attainment of objectives of the research, primary data was obtained using different data collection instruments. Moreover, stratified random sampling was used to sample students of Ambo Secondary School students in the town while purposive sampling was used to identify informed, experts and authorized bodies of the towns’ educational Office manager participants of KII and FGD respondents. Out of total 3028 target populations, 353 students in Ambo secondary school students were randomly selected and contacted through survey. The collected data was carefully processed and analyzed using SPSS v-20 to obtain relevant findings, arrive on conclusions and to forward helpful recommendations. The study result indicates that students of secondary school in the study area were being accessible to internet sources and users of social media for purposes like friend meeting, academic purposes and leisure. Moreover, it was arrived on through the study that social media usage among students has effects on academic performance in terms of study time management, classroom attendance, educational program participation and educational full focus to different dimensions and magnitudes. Despite these negative impacts, students in the study area were not planned to stop social media usage in future. Based on the above findings it was recommended to teachers, parents, students and other stakeholders to further improve social media usage as it really contributes to academic performance in the area through continuous follow up, wisely decide on purposes of social media usage, effective study time management and provide training on social media usage in relation to academic performance
