Abstract :

Technological advancements have brought major changes in the life of people and their affairs globally. Today the web has taken a firm place in people's lives. The advancement in technology has made it easier for people especially young people to have access to the internet and thus social networking which they join in with friends. Social media can be defined as a group of internet-based applications that allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Social networking sites include Twitter, Yahoo Messenger, Facebook Messenger, YouTube, Blackberry Messenger (BBM), WhatsApp messenger,2gomessenger, Skype, Google Talk, Google Messenger, Instagram, etc. The main focus of this study is to measure the influence of social media on the academic performance of students at the postgraduate level in the Thrissur district in Kerala. The rapid advancement of media technology has had an excellent impact on the way people communicate on every day. The growing dimension of the utilization of social media among the youth of today can't be over-emphasized. It is therefore of great importance to identify the major factors that influence students' academic performance as a result of social media.

In view of the significant role of MSME sector in triggering entrepreneurship and fuelling economic growth, it creates substantial academic and research interests to delve deep into the growth of MSMEs in India; schemes of Government of India for encouraging entrepreneurship; role of SME exchange; and performance of MSMEs in India.

Keywords :

1. Introduction

The entire worldis celebrating the advancements in communication technology which has broadened the compass of communication through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The arrival of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in world has bettered the manner people communicate and take information, therefore, it has converted the world into a global place. Technological advancements have brought major changes to the ways and mores people conduct their affairs encyclopedically. This technological advancement continues to break communication walls and replace them with new styles of connecting global cult. Moment the Internet has taken a firm place in people's lives. It's delicate to imagine a youthful man who at least formerly a day didn't check for updates in social networks and didn't splint through the news lines. Ultramodern reality requires us to stay in touch and keep abreast of the rearmost news and trends. The transition to the technological period brought about the arrival of the internet as well as social media. The advancement in technology has made it easier for people especially youthful people to have access to the internet and therefore social networking which they join in with musketeers. Social media or networking has revolutionized the way social commerce takes place. It's a process by which people fraternize online. Through it, people seek and enjoy the fellowship of others online. It supports the sharing of information and services among individualities and groups having a common interest. Media is playing a veritably prominent part in the life of a ultramodern man. There are a large number of people who use different types of social media in order to keep them streamlined and connected with the entire world. Using social media affects their study and academic performance and eventually their result becomes effective. Some of the scholars cannot remain down from using social media and it affects their academic performance poorly. Social media according to Kaplan and Helen (2010) is defined as a group of internet- grounded operations that allows the creation and exchange of stoner-generated content.

Social media is used by all areas in society; business, politics, media, advertising, police, and arising services. It has also come a crucial tool for provoking studies, dialogue, and action around particular social issues. Social media is the most recent form of media and has numerous features and characteristics. The maturity of youth is shifting hastily from electronic media like TV observers and radio listeners to social media among all age groups. The youth rate is veritably important shifting into social media so its influences are important on youth. This mode of social media has led to a host of questions regarding its impact on society, while it's agreed that social media affects people's living styles and it's an ongoing process to identify the nature of these influences in every society and country, especially on youth. This study concentrated on the influences of social media on educational and academic purposes among Post Graduate scholars in Thrissur District Kerala

Review of Literature

Lee Humphreys (2007), in her study entitled Mobile Social Networks and Social Practicesopined that social network applications have now been migrated from the computer to the mobile phone, network information and communication can be integrated into the public space and these new services that are developed for mobile phones allow users to create, develop, and strengthen their social ties. A mobile social network system (MSNS) allows groups of friends to be accessed and engaged with from one's mobile phone. The findings of the study suggest that Dodgeball use can influence the way that informants experience public space and social relations therein. At times Dodgeball can facilitate the creation of their space, which is a dynamic and itinerant form of "third places." Tracy Packiam Alloway (2012), has conducted a study on ,The impact of engagement with social networking sites (SNSs) on cognitive skills" opined the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of social networking sites (SNSs) engagement on cognitive and social skills. The study investigated the use of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube in a group of young adults and tested their working memory, attentional skills, and reported levels of social connectedness. Results showed that certain activities in Facebook (such as checking friends" status updates) and YouTube (telling a friend to watch a video) predicted working memory test performance. The findings also indicated that Active and Passive SNS users had qualitatively different profiles of attentional control. Ruti Gafni and Moran Deri (2012), in their study entitled „Costs and benefits of Facebook for undergraduate students" opined the influence of Facebook on the students, learning process in undergraduate demanding faculties, such as engineering. In particular, it was aimed at identifying various costs and benefits associated with the student's use of Facebook and investigating the impact of the colleges/schools use of Facebook for learning purposes. However, it was found that social activities on Facebook consumed a significant amount of the student's time, during the surfing and even after, thus negatively affecting their learning process

Research Gap

The present study was conducted with the aim to understand the Influence of social media on academic performance, factors which lead to the use of social media and the effectiveness of social media among the Post Graduate students from selected Colleges in Thrissur District. It was clear that there are no studies conducted during the present scenario about the influence ofSocial Media on Academic performance among the Post Graduate Students in Thrissur District, Kerala. The research gap has enabled the researcher to state the objectives:

Objectives of The Study

• To study the effectiveness of social media on academic performance.
• To know common social media platforms used for academic purpose.
• To find out the factors which influence students to use social media in their academic performance

Factors Influencing use of social media

• Intellectual factor
• Learning factor
• Physical factor
• Emotional and Social factor
• Mental factor
• Environment Factor

Sample
The population for this study includes all Post-Graduate Students in the Arts and Science college of Thrissur district in Kerala. Sample units were selected from Government colleges, Aided colleges and Self-financing Colleges. The sample size of the study was finalized to 70. The questionnaires were floated online among the students. A total of 100 completed questionnaires were received back. Among that, 70 valid questionnaires were considered for analysis. To find out the most important factor that influences the use of social media rankingmethod was used.



Findings

Conclusion
Students are actively using social media platforms for their academic performance. The most important influencing factor is the learning factor that social media provides more information related to their subjects. Students should try to create a balance between social media use and their studies. When using social media, they should try to use it more often for educational purposes such as acquiring or sharing information, seeking help from friends, classmates or professors to get their doubts clarified, collaborating with classmates for group tasks and so on. Hence, if used effectively for constructive purposes such as learning or sharing information online, social media can prove to be a helpful tool for students. On the other hand, excessive social media use for social networking or entertainment can seriously negatively affect their academic performance

References

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