Social Media and Its Impact on University Students: An Analytical Study

Background/purpose. Social media has become an integral part of everyday life for people of all ages, including students, offering opportunities for interaction in both academic and non-academic contexts. This growing presence has significantly influenced how students communicate, access information, and engage with their educational environment. This study aims to explore how university students use social media, examine its influence on their academic lives, and identify both the positive and negative effects on the educational process. Materials/methods. A quantitative survey design was employed in this study, using convenience sampling to select 120 male and female students from various academic levels at Dhofar University, Sultanate of Oman. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the collected data. Results. This study analyzes the main purpose of using social media and the impact of using it on their academic lives. The results indicate that students perceive social media as having several negative effects on their academic routines, particularly in terms of distraction and time management. They also devote a considerable amount of time to social media and exhibit diverse usage behaviors. Conclusion. The findings demonstrate that social media plays a major role in students’ daily routines, serving purposes beyond entertainment. Students also use these platforms for academic support, such as sharing experiences and information. The study concludes that social media has both positive and negative impacts on students’ lives, particularly to their academic performance. This research offers valuable insights into the most common purposes for which students use social media and how it influences them, supporting the idea of integrating social media into active learning strategies to enhance its educational effectiveness.