Title: Time and tide wait for no student: what adolescents spend time online and social networks affect their academic performance

Authors: Myint Swe Khine; Ernest Afari; Yang Liu

Addresses: Curtin University, Perth, WA 6845, Australia ' University of Bahrain, Sakhir, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain ' Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai, China

Abstract: The current generation of students grow up in the age of technology. They are exposed to a plethora of devices that allow them to stay connected at all times. The impact and adverse consequences of the overuse of social media on school performance are well documented in the literature. Drawing from the recently available data from the study on social and emotional skills, this paper explored the relationships between the time spent on the internet and online activities and academic performance among students. The data from OECD's survey on social and emotional skills that involves a sample of 60,498 students from ten cities across nine countries is used in the study. The results revealed that mathematics, language, and arts grades were positively related to reading activities. However, internet and online activities were negatively associated with performance grades. This study suggested that teachers and parents guide the students to manage time efficiently and to minimise distractions brought about by online and social networks.

Keywords: social and emotional skills; 21st century skills; social media; screen time; achievement; internet; online games; online chat; social network.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2022.124756

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 2022 Vol.6 No.4, pp.349 - 362

Received: 18 Oct 2021
Accepted: 06 Nov 2021
Published online: 08 Aug 2022 *