Research Essay

1. Influence of Facebook on Studying<br />Throughout the years, there have been introductions to several social networking websites. None, however, as popular nor as successful as Facebook.com. Though the site has drastically increased in number of users, there are plenty of disadvantages to becoming a user yourself. One major con to having a Facebook account, in which this research essay will be focused, is how the persistent usage of the site has been a distraction for college students while studying, thus resulting in declining grades.<br />To start, Facebook’s population is a massive, constantly growing one. “To date, the site has over 500 million active members. Of that insurmountable tally, roughly 50 percent log in on any given day” (Facebook). With such substantial numbers as these, Facebook almost seems like a necessity rather than a luxury. As such, the site is often presented less as a mere method to stay connected with family and friends virtually and more as a tool to kill time, or procrastinate in most college students’ situations.<br />Today, as the number of Facebook users are at a rapid increase, both college and college-bound students alike make an enormous contribution. “There is no official number of current college student users at this point, yet around 85 percent of students attending a college of some sort have an active account” (TechCrunch). Thus, the new member total remains at a consistent rise. However, while the number of users increase, the opportunities that cause the fascination with Facebook, grow likewise.<br />Keeping in touch via social networking sites is not considered harmful or frowned-upon. For many college students to date, however, Facebook has grown from just a social networking site to an everyday task. “Whether it be in or out of class sessions, kids make it priority to check their Facebook profiles at least once each day, as proven by the estimated 35 million people who log on and update information on a daily basis” (Facebook). With numbers as such, decreased study hours and falling GPAs relate with more hours spent on Facebook.<br />Perhaps the biggest issue surrounding Facebook’s influence on school work is procrastination. Facebook indirectly causes procrastination as it serves as an alternative to assignments for school. Although it is not a direct lead to putting off work, it is the most common source used during class or dedicated homework time. The alternative is not always Facebook, though it is typically the favorite of most students and is usually extremely distracting.<br />Facebook activity itself does not lead to less studying and lower grades either. However, there is a relationship where more time spent on the site corresponds with lower grades and study hours. “Certain studies showed that Facebook users typically maintained GPAs ranging from 3.0 to 3.5, while non-Facebook users averaged 3.5 to 4.0 GPAs” (CBS4). “The time accredited to studying also differs significantly between users and non-users. Active users logged anywhere from one to five total hours per week studying whereas non-users put forth 11 to 15 hours per week. Those who do not use the site were said to have up to 88 percent more time devoted to working outside of class as well” (Ohio State Research Editorial). Overall, the GPAs are largely affected by the study efforts. The study efforts, however, reflect primarily on time dedicated to Facebook.<br />From past years until present, the issue with Facebook and assignment completion is not so much failure to complete given work, but more so the errors within the assignment. “Cindy Raisor, a technical writing and composition professor at Texas A&M University, noted that spelling and correct word choice were two of the top issues of late. Raisor’s overall key to preventing these issues are for students to remember that they are writing formally and should therefore include proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation” (The Battalion Online). By dedicating just as much time to Facebook as an essay for school, being able to distinguish the formal and informal writing habits is sometimes difficult for college students.<br />Recently, more studies have been conducted regarding Facebook’s interference with studying. “Research shows that even if Facebook was open as a background window while carrying out other tasks, less time is still applied to school work” (Facebook). On the contrary, many students are unaware less time is spent studying. As they multitask, more time is needed for completion of the school work and thus, more mistakes are made. When Facebook is not running as a background during school work, the percentages of tests and assignments are higher, however.<br />Health issues relating to the use of Facebook have also been taken into consideration. Foremost, the networking site is believed to becoming addictive for many of its users. “Today, it is extremely unlikely hearing teens go just a single day without checking their Facebook profiles. With mobile web technology at its finest, the rarity that a user would go just a day without connecting to their profile is that much greater” (Schumacher Suite 101).<br />Baring the social network’s addictiveness in mind, the physical and emotional health issues are seemingly a factor. “Though it is not a direct outcome of site overuse, the consequences of a numbed or insensitive personality are eerily rising as the time spent on Facebook does likewise” (Hitchcock Suite 101). The physical health impact is also a substantial one. “Though indirectly, students have become less physically active due to the individual desire to linger on the site. Thus, a healthy mind leads to a healthy body in the basic focus in this particular scenario” (BBC News).<br />There are a plentiful of reasons that suggest why Facebook is the most common alternative for college students especially. The fact that such a high percentage of people in their teens and early twenties have an active membership to the social network is perhaps the most obvious of the rest. “Other reasons including Facebook-exclusive internet games, fan pages, business advertisements, and having the capability to document emotions, thoughts, or plans are all valid opinions as well” (Ezine Articles). Regardless the reason, the purpose of the site has certainly been refocused and provides a major interference in school work for students. Even so, it is the student who is responsible and is therefore liable to manage his or her time for study accordingly.<br />Lastly, Facebook affects the allotted time for studying and homework through its various forms of communication within. With Facebook, you have a variety of communication preferences. Whether it be posting a status, writing on a friend’s profile wall, utilizing the exclusive instant messaging system, or leaving a comment on somebody else’s statuses, the varying choices you are provided gives a new, more fresh method to communicate with friends and family. Also, it makes it easier for the user to remain entertained.<br />In conclusion, Facebook and other social networking websites have become a severe interference with students and their time for studying and working on class assignments. While the use of such websites is not discouraged, they subject you to procrastination easily, risk the quality of your assignment, and take away dedicated time to study for classes. Although they are not directly tied with the lowering of grades, it is proven that users suffer from worse grades and GPAs than those of non-users. The time spent working on assignments and studying class materials is also significantly larger of that of non-users than those who use Facebook. This is why Facebook and other media is distracting and how spending much activity on said websites instead of focusing on school work can interfere and influence your grades.<br />Works Cited<br />Arrington, Michael. quot;
85% of College Students Use Facebook.quot;
TechCrunch. N.p., 7 Sept. 2005. Web. 16 <br /> Nov. 2010. <http://techcrunch.com/2005/09/07/85-of-college-students-use-facebook/>.<br />Grabmeier, Jeff. quot;
Sutdy Finds Link Between Facebook Use, Lower Grades in College.quot;
Research News. <br /> Ohio State University, 8 Apr. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/ <br /> facebookusers.htm>.<br />Hitchcock, Chris. quot;
Could Sites Like Facebook Affect Your Grades and Health?quot;
Suite 101. N.p., 9 <br /> Sept. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.suite101.com/content/ <br /> could-sites-like-facebook-affect-your-grades-and-health-a283879>. <br />Kephart, Tim. quot;
Study Finds Facebook Usage May Yield Lower Grades.quot;
CBS4. CBS Television Stations, 14 <br /> Apr. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://cbs4.com/local/ <br /> facebook.college.grades.2.984408.html>.<br />Mitchel, Sturat. quot;
What Makes Facebook So Popular.quot;
Ezine Articles. N.p., 11 July 2008. Web. 16 Nov. <br /> 2010. <http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Makes-Facebook-So-Popular&id=1317349>.<br />Ralston, Katy. quot;
Facebook Affects Student Writing.quot;
Battalion Online. Texas A&M University, 24 Mar. <br /> 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.thebatt.com/news/ <br /> facebook-affects-student-writing-1.1277596>.<br />Works Cited (continued)<br />Schumacher, Jim. quot;
Health Risk of Social Networking.quot;
Suite 101. N.p., 15 Apr. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. <br /> 2010. <http://www.suite101.com/content/health-risk-of-social-networking-a109836>.<br />quot;
Online networking 'harms health.'quot;
BBC News. MMX, 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <br /> <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7898510.stm>. <br />quot;
Press Room Statistics.quot;
Facebook. N.p., 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. <http://www.facebook.com/press/ <br /> info.php?statistics>.<br />