The Impact of Social Media on Enhancing Academic Awareness among University Students

This study investigates the impact of social media on university students, particularly focusing on how social media contributes to academic awareness among those who are new to the higher education environment. Social media platforms offer both positive and negative influences, and this research aims to explore and explain both dimensions in the context of academic development. The research was delimited to universities in Islamabad, and data was collected through structured questionnaires administered to university students. The primary objective of the study was to identify the factors associated with social media use that influence the development of academic awareness, and to examine the relationship between social media engagement and academic awareness among university students. A stratified sampling technique was employed for the selection of participants. From the total population, 82 male faculty members and 95 female faculty members were included in the sample. Additionally, 307 male and 329 female university students participated in the study. Findings indicated that a significant number of university students primarily use social media for video calling, chatting, and gaming activities, which may divert attention from academic engagement. This underscores the importance of raising awareness about the constructive and academic uses of social media among students.