Many students rely on the
accessibility of information on social media specifically and the web in general
to provide answers. That means a reduced focus on learning and retaining
information.Students who attempt to multi-task, checking social media sites
while studying, show reduced academic performance.Their ability to concentrate
on the task at hand is significantly reduced by the distractions that are
brought about by YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. The more time students spend on
social sites, the less time they spend socializing in person. Because of the
lack of body signals and other nonverbal cues, like tone and inflection, social
networking sites are not an adequate replacement for face-to-face communication.
Students who spend a great deal of time on social networking are less able to
effectively communicate in person. The popularity of social media, and the speed
at which information is published, has created a lax attitude towards proper
spelling and grammar. The reduces a student’s ability to effectively write
without relying on a computer’s spell check feature. The degree to which private
information is available online and the anonymity the internet seems to provide
has made students forget the need to filter the information they post. Many
colleges and potential employers investigate an applicant’s social networking
profiles before granting acceptance or interviews. Most students don’t
constantly evaluate the content they’re publishing online, which can bring about
negative consequences months or years down the road.