Study: Facebook Fixation Impacts GPA
According to a new study by Ohio State University, American college students who routinely use the social networking site Facebook.com typically have lower grade-point averages than those who do not.
Research Aryn Karpinski said that the education department's survey, which was completed by 219 undergraduates and graduates, found that those who regularly used Facebook had lower grades. She added:
"Our study shows people who spend more time on Facebook spend less time studying,. Every generation has its distractions, but I think Facebook is a unique phenomenon. It is the equivalent of the difference between getting an A and a B."
The study also found that 79 percent of participants that admitted to Facebook usage felt that their online activities did not impact their studies. No margin of error was given for the study, and because the sample was so small, it would be interested to see if the results could be replicated in a larger study.
Comments
At best, this study is grabbing at straws...
First, I challenge Aryn Karpinski to find a larger sample of College students who are NOT on Facebook. I'll argue that it will most likely impossible with the network hitting 200 million users last week.
Today's college students have been on Facebook for years. It's become an ingrained component of their social culture and communication. In this study, you could replace the term Facebook with "cell phone" or "fraternity parties" or "drinking" and come up with the same skewed findings.
Part of the college experience is learning how to divide your attention among multiple tasks - both for pleasure and work. Multitasking is a necessity in the professional world.
Students who point blame at Facebook for their lack luster grades should really examine their own time management skills and not try to find a scapegoat for their absence of discipline...
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