A study has found that students whose grades were below average can make improvements if they spent less time on social networking sites, especially Facebook.
The study, published in the journal Computers & Education, revealed that below-average students get significantly lower grades as they spend more time on Facebook and other social networking sites.
The researchers from the the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) examined the amount of time first-year university students spent on Facebook, and the effect it had on their grades. Study researcher James Wakefield said: "Our research shows time spent on social networking platforms puts lower academic achievers at higher risk of failing their course."
The study involved over 500 students with an average age of 19 and who are enrolled in the first year subject 'Introductory Accounting' at an Australian university. The researchers discovered that  if the students used Facebook for three hours a day, which is not substantially higher than the average of just under two hours, the difference was around six marks in a 60 mark exam or 10%.
The researchers analyzed the students' general academic achievement using their weighted average mark (WAM) across all of their studies, and surveyed them about their Facebook use. They also established controls for other factors that might influence their achievements, such as whether they were planning to major in accounting, as well as their age and gender.
Wakefield pointed out: "Lower achieving students may already be grappling with self-regulation and focus, so it seems time spent on Facebook provides a further distraction from studies. It appears that for students with lower academic achievement, the use of social networking sites replaces study time, whereas high achieving students are able to juggle both."
The researchers argued that students with below-average grades would benefit from switching off notifications on their phones, and either quitting or reducing time spent on Facebook.
