Social Media and Academic Performance in Students of the IV and V Semesters of the Accounting Faculty at the National University of Central Peru

Abstract

Social media has become an important technological development that affects social interactions, it is an inseparable part of the life of users, especially young people and students. They are used for various purposes such as keeping in touch with family and friends, academic purposes, as a hobby, meeting new people and for business purposes. University students use social media more than other people, and the preferred sites are WhatsApp and Facebook, especially among students at the National University of the Center of Peru. Despite the positive effects such as socializing, sharing knowledge and learning from various sources, there are negative effects such as reduction in learning capacity, loss of real human contact, waste of time and decreased motivation. Social media addiction impacts students' academic performance and their physical and psychological well-being. We used the scientific method, applied type and correlational level, non-experimental design, we used the survey through the questionnaire directed to students of the IV and V semester. The result reveals that the frequency of use of social networks had a significant relationship with the academic performance of students, concluding that the importance of a balanced and conscious use of social networks stands out as a key factor to improve the academic performance and well-being of university students.