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Facebook Has No Effect On College Grades, Study Finds
If your college GPA has been plummeting in recent semesters, you might legitimately blame the slide on drugs, sex or the occasional rock and roll. You best think twice, though, before fingering Facebook. According to researchers from Northwestern University, compulsive use of social networking sites has virtually no effect on academic performance when compared with other variables like gender, ethnic background or parental education. In a recent study titled 'Predictors and consequences of differentiated practices on social network sites,' researchers found that social networking did little to affect the discrepancies they already uncovered across gender and ethnicity, although time spent on sites like Facebook or MySpace did wipe out the grade differential between students whose parents were college educated and those whose weren't. As ars technica reports, the study finds that, in some controlled circumstances, social networking actually has a positive effect on GPA. While researchers were willing to admit that Facebook could legitimately distract many students from studying or finishing problem sets, such negative effects seem to have been outweighed, or at least canceled, by the positive. "The positive relationship between web-use skills and GPA may illustrate that students who have better online skills can draw on their Internet savvy to aid in their schoolwork," the paper reads. "[E]ngaging more intensely with [social networking sites], in particular, shows no relationship to our outcome variable of academic achievement."
Having spent many an all-nighter wasting time on Facebook in procrastinatory, caffeine-addled panic, we can tell you first hand, that social networking has never had what we'd call a "positive effect" on our college GPAs. But considering how microscopic they were to begin with, we can't really say it had much of a negative one, either. [From: Informaworld and Northwestern University, via: ars technica]
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Comments
13
Subscribe to commentsLinda BeesonJul 16th 2010 2:45PM
Awwwww! Too Bad! You didn't get to dis on FB...too bad!
nolka04Jul 16th 2010 4:09PM
i'm going back to school and use FB. yes, I procrastinate, but really no more than I did in school 20 yrs ago. I find the positiveness of my friends, and their support for my endeavors a real plus. They encourage me and in a back of the mind way, I don't want to disappoint them, more so than myself. It's just a matter of balancing your homework with FB networking. I don't feel isolated. also, i happen to become inspired through them and some of the "likes" or ads for some of my work. It truly is a plus. at least for now. not to mention hooking back up with old friends
CatJul 16th 2010 7:16PM
Well, I could have told you that! Adults think they know everything these days. :)
KatieCouric'sNemesisAug 7th 2010 10:46AM
There is only ONE thing that keeps you from getting good grades: a failure to STUDY.
So, don't blame Facebook, or Internet games, or AOL or anything else. Go into the bathroom, look into the bathroom mirror, and you'll see whom to blame.
MitchAug 6th 2010 10:47PM
It's not surprising that a study would indicate such when one considers the source. It has always been my impression that anyone can make straight A's but some have to study more hours than others. Hours spent on social networking sites do not figure i the total study hours.Wake up gang!!!
QuinGoodAug 7th 2010 12:09AM
LOL - give me a break. Read:
although time spent on sites like Facebook or MySpace did wipe out the grade differential between students whose parents were college educated and those whose weren't.
Mr. Toor (the author of this article) apparently spent too much time on Facebook when HE was in college. This is the biggest bunch of gobbledegook I've read in ages!
KevinAug 7th 2010 1:12AM
I went to college 20 years ago when we had no internet. I made up for it by drinking, at least 6 nights a week. But i still maintained a b+ average, studying biochemistry. I partied my azz off. My point is, anything can be a distraction, the internet is just one more.
Tizzy TexAug 7th 2010 1:10AM
it most certainly does eat your time and take away from studying.
sean305miaAug 7th 2010 1:29AM
bs. all these sites distract so much from studying, finishing papers, etc. and thus affect GPAs if one doesnt get stuff done on time. These people are just trying to put more pressure on us by giving less excuses.
alabamabyrdsAug 7th 2010 3:36AM
Alabama Byrd. "Today it is Facebook and Twitter. Yesterday it was just Aol, witched changed my life. I do wished I had the use of Google and the other sites of today back when I was a student. To say that sites like Facebook may lower your GPA. I say No. To me (Alabama Byrd) it seems to be easier to study and learn at a faster pace at home where I believe that I learned more than sitting in a class room with a teacher who I could not here and with that Disability; I tended to just give up Listening because it was such a struggle to try and here what was being said. However today the use of sites like Google, Facebook and twitter I can read and learn at my own pace." The Father of Dotillism. The PopDot Artist Alabama Byrd.
gr8bsnAug 7th 2010 4:17AM
Let's see here, I'm a Master's student, I use Facebook a lot, and I have a 4.0 GPA. Know what the relationship is between Facebook and grades? ZERO!!!!!
monchelle603Aug 7th 2010 4:38AM
If anyone feel that Facebook or any other social networking site is causing them to fail a class or it's lowering their GPA. I have but one suggestion....DONT LOG ON UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF YOUR WORK...Thank you and a good night!!
DudeGuyAug 7th 2010 5:17AM
Facebook is for lames