Abstract

The growth of technology has significantly impacted education, with social networking sites (SNS) like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and YouTube connecting people globally. This research aims to explore the use of SNS among undergraduate students, focusing on gender and locality. It also examines the relationship between SNS usage and academic performance. The Social Networking Sites Inventory, a self-developed tool, was used to measure SNS usage, while academic performance was assessed based on students' previous scores. The study included a sample of 105 students from colleges affiliated with Assam University, Silchar, selected using stratified sampling techniques. Findings revealed that among the 105 respondents, 15.2% visited WhatsApp, 4.8% visited YouTube, and another 15.2% accessed WhatsApp, YouTube, and Instagram. Most students browsed these platforms multiple times a day, spending an average of 39% of their time per visit on SNS. Additionally, 82.9% of students accessed SNS using personal smartphones, while 6.7% used laptops. Most of the participants (64.8%) used multiple SNS platforms, with WhatsApp and YouTube being particularly popular.The study found no significant differences in social networking sites usage based on gender or locality. However, the relationship between SNS usage and academic performance was positive.