Research Article

Understanding Academic Performance: The Influence of Social Media, Classroom Engagement, and Personal Discipline

Anyi LiPennsylvania State University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

In today's society, where academic performance is highly valued, the idea that grades are closely related to a student's future development puts immense pressure on students. Many students make poor decisions and become overwhelmed in the pursuit of good grades. Therefore, it is crucial to help students understand the factors that influence their academic performance. Addiction to social media often impacts students' academic performance. If students become overly obsessed in social media, their time and attention are diverted from studying. Furthermore, if students experience abuse caused by social media, they can develop serious psychological problems that lead to a loss of interest in learning. In addition to distraction and cyberbullying, social media also negatively impacts students' sleep. However, sleep is crucial for academic performance because good sleep deepens the knowledge and memory students acquire in their daily lives. Besides excessive use of social media, students' self-discipline is also a contributing factor to their academic performance. Students' lack of attendance in class can lead to them missing out on important information. However, in addition to attendance, students should also pay attention in class so they can focus on the knowledge presented. Furthermore, doing homework helps students consolidate what they have learned in class and put it into practice. Ultimately, if students consume alcohol inappropriately, the time they spend studying will be shortened, potentially negatively impacting their academic performance. Therefore, the way of students using social media and students' self-discipline in learning are major factors that influence their academic performance.

Keywords: Academic performance; Contribution factor; Social media; Self-discipline
Published: October 14, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.BJ27904
Volume: CHR Vol.77
pp. 94-101
Download PDF

References

  1. Parker, K. (2025) Pressures teens are facing.  Pew Research Center.  Available at:   https: //www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2025/03/13/pressures-teens-are-facing/
  2. Gordon, M.S. and Ohannessian, C.M. (2023) Social media use and early adolescents’ academic achievement: Variations by parent-adolescent communication and gender. Youth & Society, 56(4), 651-672.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024) Frequent social media use and experiences with bullying victimization, persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and suicide risk among high school students—Youth risk behavior survey, United States, 2023.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Available at:   https: //www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/su/su7304a3.htm
  4. Peled, Y. (2019) Cyberbullying and its influence on academic, social, and emotional development of undergraduate students.  Heliyon.  Available at:   https: //pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6434491/
  5. Yu, D.J., Wing, Y.K., Li, T.M.H. and Chan, N.Y. (2024) The impact of social media use on sleep and mental health in youth: A scoping review.  Current Psychiatry Reports.  Available at:   https: //link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-024-01481-9
  6. Kish, S. (2023) Nightly sleep is key to student success.  Carnegie Mellon University News.  Available at:   https: //www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2023/february/nightly-sleep-is-key-to-student-success
  7. Laybourn, P. (2023) Students skipping class.  College of Natural Sciences, Colorado State University.  Available at:   https: //www.natsci.colostate.edu/master-teacher-initiative/teaching-tips-and-guides/students-skipping-class/
  8. Credé, M., Roch, S. and Kieszczynka, U. (2010) Class attendance in college: A meta-analytic review of the relationship of class attendance with grades and student characteristics. Review of Educational Research, 80(2), 272-295.
  9. Learning Framework. (n.d.) Effective strategies for college success, Chapter 10: Active listening in the classroom.  OpenNCCC.  Available at:   https: //opennccc.nccommunitycolleges.edu/courseware/lesson/186/student/?section=1
  10. Buccino, N. (2018) Cellphone distraction in the classroom can lead to lower grades: Rutgers study finds.  Rutgers University News.  Available at:   https: //www.rutgers.edu/news/cellphone-distraction-classroom-can-lead-lower-grades-rutgers-study-finds
  11. Grodner, A. and Rupp, N. (n.d.) The role of homework on student learning outcomes: Evidence from a field experiment.  East Carolina University.  Available at:   https: //economics.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/165/2019/07/ecu1001.pdf
  12. Allen, H.K., Calhoun, B.H. and Maggs, J.L. (2020) High-risk alcohol use behavior and daily academic effort among college students. Journal of American College Health, 70(2), 335-339.
  13. UCI Machine Learning Repository. (n.d.) Student alcohol consumption [Data set].  Kaggle.  Available at:   https: //www.kaggle.com/datasets/uciml/student-alcohol-consumption