Social Media Usage and Study Habits of College Students in the Pandemic

Abstract

The implication of social media on students’ study habits has become a subject of attention, especially now that its utilization is prevalent. Consequently, study habits are learning procedures that enable students to work independently and perform well academically (Ogbuiyi et al., 2020). This study was anchored to the Social Learning Theory of Albert Bandura (1963), which refers to self-regulation and self-reflection as factors that enable a person to adapt to various circumstances. This study used a quantitative-correlational research design and standardized questionnaires to gather data. The participants of the study were 408 college students during the Second Semester Academic Year 2021-2022 in a Catholic University. Moreover, the use of analysis of variance and independent sample t-test indicated that social media usage and study habits, when grouped according to sex, college department, and year level, had no significant relationship; this showed that social media usage and study habits, regardless of the variables, were all using social media and study habits equally. Furthermore, in determining the relationship between social media usage and study habits of college students where it indicated a significant relationship, it employed Pearson product-moment correlation. As a result, college students utilized both in a similar manner. Regarding their utilization of study habits the college students’ interpretation was good, while their social media usage was moderate. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended some relevant plans to help students continue using social media to aid them in their learning.