# Mobile social media usage and academic performance

**Authors:** Fausto Giunchiglia, Mattia Zeni, Elisa Gobbi, Enrico Bignotti, Ivano Bison  
**arXiv:** [2004.01392](https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.01392)  
**Date:** 2020-04-03  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2004.01392v1/

## Key points

- Social media and smartphones have made students sensitive to their usage.
- Previous studies show a negative correlation between social media and academic performance.
- The authors propose a solution that tracks user activities and interactions with their devices to parametrize social media usage and academic performance.
- The study was conducted on 72 students participating in the SmartUnitn project which examines time management and academic performance.
- Results showed a clear negative impact of social media usage on academic activities, highlighting different influence patterns of social media on student performance.
- The study underscores the need for controlling smartphone usage in academic settings.

## Summary

The pervasiveness of social media and smartphones has made students particularly sensitive to their usage. Previous studies have shown a negative correlation between social media and academic performance, as it can lead to addictive behaviors that harm students' careers. To address this gap in knowledge, the authors propose a solution that parametrizes social media usage and academic performance while combining smartphones and time diaries to track user activities and interactions with their devices. The study was conducted on 72 students participating in the SmartUnitn project which examines time management and academic performance. By analyzing the logs of social media apps on participants' smartphones and comparing them to their grades and credits, the authors were able to provide both quantitative and qualitative estimates of negative and positive correlations between social media usage and academic performance. The results showed a clear negative impact of social media usage on academic activities, highlighting different influence patterns of social media on student performance. Additionally, the study underscores the need for controlling smartphone usage in academic settings. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into how mobile technology affects student learning outcomes in higher education contexts.