Social Media Network Participation and Academic Performance In Senior High Schools in Ghana

Background of the StudyThe Internet revolution changed the information world with regard to sharing, speed, storage and retrieval of information in whatever form regardless of the person's location. Through the Internet a number of web technologies emerged, and one technology that is making waves with regard to information sharing and communication are the social media networks. The evolution of social media has cut across all facets of society with its positive and negative impacts. Social media has transformed and impacted on communication, learning, research and education in general. Among the vast variety of online tools which are available for communication, social networking sites (SNS) have become the most modern and attractive tools for connecting people throughout the world (Aghazamani, 2010). Davis et al (2012), refer to social media technology (SMT) as "web-based and mobile applications that allow individuals and organizations to create, engage, and share new usergenerated or existing content, in digital environments through multi-way communication". Through this platform, individuals and organizations create profiles, share and exchange information on various activities and interests. An interesting aspect of social media is that, it is not limited to desktop or laptop computers but could be accessed through mobile applications and smart phones making it very accessible and easy to use. Examples of these social media platforms both on the web and mobile application include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Whatsapp, Instagram, blogs etc.According to Boyd & Ellison (2007), "Social networking sites are web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system". These sites are used to interact with friends, peers and others that are found in groups on these sites. The sharing of information ranges from news, debates, gossips, feelings or statement of mind, opinions, research etc.According to Internet usage statistics for the world, there were 3,035,749,340 estimated Internet users with a penetration rate of 42.3% as at June, 2014. Also, the estimated population of Africa in 2014 was 1,125,721,038 of which 297,885,898 were Internet users. The penetration of Internet on the continent was 26.5%. By December 2012, the number of Facebook users in Africa was 51,612,460. In Ghana, the number of internet users as at June 2014 was 5,171,993 with 20.1% Internet penetration. Out of the total Internet users in Ghana, 1,630,420 users were on Facebook (Internet World Statistics, 2015). A report by the National Communications Authority (NCA) Ghana indicated that mobile data subscribers in the country has increased exponentially with a penetration rate of 59.78%. As at the end of March, 2015, mobile data subscriber base had increased to 16,106,218 (NCA, 2015). The statistics indicates that as more people subscribe to the Internet and mobile phone, the more the increase in data subscriptions. This data subscription is used to access the Internet which in effect is used more to participate on social networks. Therefore, the number of users who are and will be using social media will therefore not slow down as more people are getting on to the bandwagon.A number of studies have been conducted to find out the impact of social media on academic performance of students. According to Ito et al. (2009), teens use these technologies for a number of positive activities, which include delving deeper into interest-driven communities and participating in various activities. Ahn (2011) adds that "Social Network Sites (SNS) provide a platform for the youth to participate in communities that help them to learn, and practice skills within a particular knowledge area". Similarly, a study by Fishman et al (2005), also indicated that college students produce tremendous volume of writing through various social media tools such as blogs, emails and other social media environments. …