The Impact of Technological Features in Social Media Platforms on Students' Academic Performance

Abstract

Abstract

The Impact of Technological Features in Social Media Platforms on Students' Academic Performance

By

Aliah Algassmi

Claremont Graduate University 2025

The ubiquitous existence of social media platforms has transformed the way people interact and communicate with each other. However, intensive social media usage has become a growing concern among students. Tis heavy usage can negatively impact their lives, including their academic performance. So far, there is no concrete empirical evidence from previous studies to confirm whether using social media platforms' technical features impact students' academic performance. Notably, there needs to be more research on the relationship between social media platforms' usage and students' academic performance. This dissertation aims to ascertain the effect of technological features of social media on students' academic performance and psychological well-being. The research questions guiding this study are: RQ1: How does social media engagement impact students' academic performance? RQ2: What psychological effects do social media's interactive features have on students? RQ3: How do notifications, endless scrolling, and personalization contribute to social media overuse? Mixed methods, quantitative and qualitative methods, were applied to this study. The data for this research was collected through a survey and interview of undergraduate students, and the results were analyzed using regression by using SPSS and thematic analyses using NVivo 20. The study investigated how impactful the technological features in social media are concerning the student's academic performance and psychological well-being using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Results suggest that the technological features of social media do have a significant impact on student's academic performance as well as psychological well-being. Qualitative narratives and statistical data add depth to the lived experiences of students, and the statistical data demonstrates the prevalence of these effects. Through the combination of these approaches, this study gives a good understanding of the intricacies of making use of social media and generates valuable implications for educational institutions and policymakers that aim to counteract the negative impacts of social media usage on students.