Crafting a Response to Technology Growth: A Comprehensive Look at Social Media in Pedagogy and Psychology

Abstract

Social media has become an integral part of modern society since the first iPhone came out in 2007 and since Facebook was introduced to the world. The growing number of social media platforms to choose from, as well as the increasing cultural importance of this digital lifestyle, have enormous ramifications on our youth, however, that research has only scratched the surface. The urgency for research catching up to the prevalence of social media will continue to be of the utmost importance in a pedagogic sense and for the general mental health of students. However, research has established the dangers that social media can pose to academic performance and the many negative side effects of using both socially, physically, and mentally. Scientists have begun to classify behavioral disorders related to electronic usage and social media addictions, and they have identified the effects they have on our brains. This paper asks how social media affects teenagers in regard to academic performance and psychological processes. The results show that there are ways to use technology beneficially in classrooms, but there is also a negative correlation between social media use and GPA. Thus, the use of social media must be closely monitored by parents and schools. The model is empirically tested using data from a variety of quantitative, and qualitative data regarding GPA and psychological reactions to social media use.