Social Media in Academia: Exploring its Influence and Usage Patterns among Undergraduate Students at KMC and UET Peshawar

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between students' patterns of social media usage and their academic performance at Khyber Medical College, Peshawar (KMC), and the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar (UET). The study spans from February 12th, 2024, to March 14th, 2024. A cross-sectional survey encompassed 291 students enrolled in medical and engineering programs at Khyber Medical College (KMC) and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) in Peshawar. The participants, comprising both engineering and medical students, completed a questionnaire designed with three components. This survey was used to gathe[1]r demographic data, information on social media usage habits, and academic-related details from the participants. The analysis highlights differences in social media usage patterns between engineering and medical students, affecting their academic performance and lecture involvement. While engineering students utilizing more time on social media for academic purposes show improved proficiency levels, medical students tend to exhibit lower proficiency levels with increased non-academic social media usage. Moreover, medical students not using social media during lectures usually have higher proficiency levels compared to those who do, emphasizing the intricate relationship between social media usage, academic performance, and lecture engagement among students in diverse fields. In conclusion, the study underscores the subtle impact of social media usage on academic performance and lecture engagement among engineering and medical students. It suggests that discipline-specific factors may influence how social media usage relates to proficiency levels, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions to optimize student outcomes in diverse educational settings.