article · Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science
Secondary school students increasingly integrate social media into their daily routines, bringing both advantages and hazards to their educational lives. An assessment of 353 Ethiopian secondary school students, surveyed through self-reported questionnaires, examined how adolescents perceive the merits and risks of these digital platforms. The findings indicate that teenagers primarily value social media for recreational and relational purposes rather than for academic work. The educational role played by these platforms is considerably less recognised by the students surveyed. Conducted as a pilot investigation within a developing nation, the study provides foundational awareness for schools, educators, and parents. This evidence base aims to inform future investigations that could assist adults in monitoring student digital habits and steering usage primarily towards academic development.
Understanding how adolescents view digital platforms helps school communities and families address technology risks while supporting learning. Because students prioritise leisure and social interaction over educational tasks, identifying these habits enables teachers and parents in developing nations to create better guidance, ensuring digital connectivity enhances rather than undermines academic performance.
The abstract does not indicate an immediate commercial application pathway, presenting early-stage pilot survey research. The findings could potentially inform the design of school digital literacy programmes, parental monitoring frameworks, or educational technology strategies targeted at secondary schools, teachers, and parents seeking to redirect adolescent digital use towards academic goals.
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Recent findings show teenagers use social media increasingly in their daily life. There is also a consensus that social media have both pros and perils on students' academic affairs. The objective of this study is to assess how Ethiopian secondary school students perceive the benefits and risks associated with social media use. Data were collected from 353 secondary schools students through self-reported questionnaire. The findings reveal that the leading perceived benefits of social media are recreational and relational purposes. The role social media play in students' academic activities is likely less considered. As a pilot study in a developing country, this study may raise awareness of schools, teachers, and parents about the benefits and risks of using social media for teenager students. Thereby, there will be future researches that enable them to effectively monitor their students to use social media primarily for academic purposes.
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DOI: 10.1007/s41347-018-0062-6
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