ODA BULTUM UNIVERSITY

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SURVEYING ENGINEERING
Title of the project:
The Effect of Social Media on Study Habits of Students:-
A Case Study at Oda Bultum University
For 4th year, Semester-I Since 2024
Prepared By: Group One
No. Students Name ID No.
1. Fekadu Soressa……………………………………….…..………..1347/14-0
2. Shumi Biru…………………………………………..……...……..1939/14-0
3. Mohammed Makana………………………………..…….………..1775/14-0
4. Lalisa Wakwaya…………………………………………………...1639/14-0
5. Debele Mosisa……………………………………………....……..1222/14-0
6. Tsaganesh Birhanu………………………………………….……..2019/14-0
7. Natsanet Awaye…………………….………………………….…..0256/14-0

Advisor: Seifegebriel k
Submitted To: Seng Head

Sat, 14 Dec, 2024

Chiro, Oromia, Ethiopia
 ABSTRACT

Nowadays due to the advancement of technology students waste much of their study time in using
social media rather than dealing with academic issues. As a result, the intent of this study was to
investigate the effects of social media on students reading habits at Oda Bultum University,
Ethiopia. The study used descriptive research methodology using cross-sectional data collected
from both primary and secondary sources through qualitative and quantitative research
techniques. To answer the research questions; the researchers collected primary data from 280
students, and also FGD was administered to further elaborate cases that are not clear during data
collection period from respondents. In this research, the output of the data collected from students
showed that most students preferred to use Facebook and YouTube to follow their friends posting
and to watch video contents of different programs respectively. Furthermore, the data output
revealed that students spent an average of 6.10 hours and 7.24 birr per day in using different
social media accounts than dealing with studying their academic subject matters. Students also
mentioned some of the effects of using social media are reducing reading time, reducing
cumulative grade point, forcing to change study time, the stress in time management and illness,
and rashes on eyes. Due to these findings researchers recommends that the university to have off
periods for social media accounts mainly for Facebook and YouTube during class time and study
time and also the university should have an advisory and counseling centers within the university
for students to use much of their time for studying purpose.

Keywords: social media, study habits, oda bultum university

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, we would like to express ours heart full gratitude & praise to ours almighty God for
his unrestricted power and grace on doing the project proposal.

Next, we would like to acknowledge the Oda Bultum University, Faculty of Engineering
Department of Surveying Engineering for giving us this good opportunity to do this project
proposal.

Finally we would also like to thank you very much to our Surveying Engineering Department
Head, Mr. Seifegebriel k. for his teaching us how to prepare a proposal and also helping us to
understand from other proposal.

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 TABLE CONTENTS

Contents Page

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………...….………i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………………………………………………………………..…..ii

LIST OF TABLE………………………………………………….…………………………..v

LIST OF CHART………………………………………………………………………....…..vi

LIST OF ACRONOMY………………………………………………….………...…………vii

CHAPTER ONE…………………………………………………………………..….….…...1

1. Introduction……………………………………………………………….………....…..1
1.1 Background of the study………………………………………………………...…….1
1.2 Statement of problem……………………………………………………..……...……2
1.3 Research question…………………………………………………….………..….…..3

1.4 Objectives of the study……………………………………………………….…..……4

1.4.1 General objective…………………………………………………….…...…. 4

1.4.2 Specific objectives……………………………………………….……..….…4

1.5 Scope of the study………………………………………………………..…..…..…....4

1.6 Limitation of the study…………………………………………………..………...…..5

1.7 Significance of the study…………………………………………………..…....…..…5

1.8 Organization of the paper…………………………………………………...…........…5

CHAPTER TWO……………………………………………………………….………...…..6
2. Research Methodology…………………………………………………………......……6

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2.1 Description of the study area…………………………………………………….………...6

2.2 Data source and type……………………………………………………………………....6

2.3 Research Design and Strategy………………………………………………..…...…….…6

2.4 Sampling Technique and Sampling Procedures…………………………….....………..…6

2.5 Method of data analysis………………………………………………….…….……...…..7

CHAPTER THREE……………………………………………………….….….……...…...8

3. Result and Discussions………………………………………………….………..……....8

3.1 Background of the Respondents……………………………………….….…..……….8

3.2 Types of Social Media used by students……………………………….…….……..…9

3.2.1 Social Media Usage for Academic and Nonacademic Purpose. ………….…11

3.3 Time wasted and cost incurred by students in using social media………….……....…11

3.4 Effects and Risks of using social media on Students Reading Habits…..….…….……12
CHAPTER FOUR…………………………………………………………….………...........14

4 Conclusion and Recommendations……………………………………….…….........….14

4.1 Conclusion……………………………………………………………….…….......…..14

4.2 Possible Recommendations………………………………………………...…...…..…14

References……………………………………………………………………………….…..…16

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 LIST OF TABLE

Table 2.1 Sample Size Determination Formula………………………………….7

Table 3.1 Sex and Age of Respondents………………………………………….8

Table 3.2 Type of Social Media Account………………………………………..9

Table 3.3 Social Media Usage for Academic and Nonacademic Purposes……...11

Table 3.4 Descriptive Statistics Result for Time and Money spent……...……...11

Table 3.5 Effects of using Social Media on Students Reading Habits………......12

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 LIST OF CHART

Bar chart 1 Access Using Social Media ………………………………………...10

Bar chart 2 Benefits of Using Social Media ………………………………….…12
Bar chart 3 Risks of Using Social Media ……………………………………….13

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 LIST OF ACRONYM

FGD Focus Group Discussion

PPSS Probability Proportion to Sample Size

FDRE Federal Democratic Republic Ethiophia

KM Kilometer

SPSS Statistics Proportion to Sample Size

IMO International Maritime Organization

WIFI Wireless Fidelity

MOSHE Ministry of Science and Higher Education

CGPA Cumulative Grade Point Average

MOE Ministry of education report

PPS Probability Proportionate to Size

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 CHAPTER ONE
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study

Social media is computer-based technology that facilitates sharing of ideas, thoughts, and in
formation through the building of virtual networks and communities. By design, social media is
internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content. Content includes
personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage with social media via
computer, tablet or smartphone via web-based software or web application, often utilizing it for
messaging (Cohen, 2011).
Social media originated as a tool that people used to interact with friends and family but was later
adopted by businesses that wanted to take advantage of a popular new communication method to
reach out to customers. The power of social media is the ability to connect and share information
with anyone on Earth as long as they used the social media (Icha Oyza and Agwu Edwin, 2015).
According to (Aaron Smith and Monika Anderson, 2018) it has been estimated that some 81% of
Americans used social media as of 2017, and even increases time to time. According to one
estimate; over one-fifth of an individual's online time is spend on social media. In 2005, the
percentage of adults using social media was around 5%. Globally, there are roughly 1.96 billion
social media users. That number is expected to rise to 2.5 billion by the end of 2018. Other
estimates are even higher. According to the Pew Research Center, social media users tend to be
younger (some 90% of People ages 18 to 29 used at least one form of social media), better educated
and relatively wealthy.
The increased use of social networking websites has become an international phenomenon in the
past several years. What started as a hobby for some computer literate people has become a social
norm and way of life for people from all over the world (Flad, 2010). Teenagers and young adults
have especially embraced these sites as a way to connect with their peers, share information,
reinvent their personalities, and showcase their social lives (Belal, 2014). With the increase of
technology used for communicating with others and the popularity of the Internet, “Social
Networking” has become an activity that is done primarily on the Internet, with sites like My space
(Bebo, 2017).

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Facebook is the most popular social networking website on the internet today, with more than 500
million members worldwide. This is rather interesting story of an unassuming 19- years- old who
did not realize the true potential of what he was setting out to accomplish. Mark Zuckerberg, born
May 14, 1984, in New York, was a sophomore in Harvard University when he stumbled upon this
marvelous creation that made him a millionaire within a few years (Boyd, 2018). The social media
also have numerous positive impacts. Firstly, it enhances learning and education. Students, with
the help of the Internet now have access to all form of information.
According to (Boyd and Ellison, 2017) social media is the connection of friends or family together
which allows one to communicate easily. With media, one can have a long chain of friends’ chat,
or share information or ideas with many people virtually. Social networking sites can be defined
as web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a
bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and
traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

1.2 Statement of problem

According to (Boyd and Ellison, 2017) social media is the connection of friends or family together
which allows one to communicate easily. With media, one can have a long chain of friends’ chat,
or share information or ideas with many people virtually. Social networking sites can be defined
as web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semipublic profile within a
bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and
traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. Mostly basic level
social networking sites allow users to set up online profiles or personal homepages, and develop
an online social network. The profile page functions as the user’s own webpage and includes
profile information ranging from their date of birth, gender, religion, politics and hometown, to
their favorite films, books quotes and what they like doing in their spare time. In addition to profile
information, users can design the appearance of their page, and add content such as photos, video
clips, music and files (Aljohani, 2016). The popularity of social media in Ethiopia is rapidly
increasing from time to time for a decade. This may be due to the students of colleges and
universities as well as youth is widely used for global access. Social networking sites like
Facebook, Imo, Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have become a
craze for everyone nowadays. In these cases, some students are more concerned about social media

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or social networks than on teaching by lecturers and will cause affected their academic
performance (Abdi, 2018). The negative effects of social networking sites overweight the positive.
These sites have resulted in an impact of potential hazards to the community. The students are
victims of social networks more often than others. This is because the consequences when they
learn or find their course material online, they get attracted to these sites to kill their boredom in
their studies and also distract them from their duties (Calancie, 2017). Gaining access to the
internet is still very difficult in Ethiopia, with internet penetration at just 15% for its over 105
million population. And even though over 53 million people have mobile connectivity, just 3.8
million of them are active social media users. Part of the problem is that data is expensive and not
competitive, given the government’s monopoly over all mobile and internet services through the
state-owned Ethio Telecom (Ibid). Through researchers’ observation, mostly students in Oda
Bultum University wasted much of their time in using social media than concentrating to study
their academic subject matters. This excessive use of social media created addiction on students
and resulted to reduce reading time of reference books and other academic materials. These and
other related scenarios motivated researchers to conduct this research at Oda Bultum University.

1.3 Research question

 What is the impact of social media on the study habits of students at Oda Bultum
University?
 Are there any differences in study habits between students who frequently use social
media and those who do not?
 Which social media platforms have the most significant impact on study habits?
 Do students' academic performance and self-efficacy affect their study habits, and in turn,
their social media usage?
 Are there any factors that moderate the relationship between social media usage and
study habits?

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 1.4 Objective of the study
1.4.1 General objective

The general objective of this study was to investigate effects of social media on studding habits of
students; a case study at Oda Bultum University.

1.4.2 Specific objectives

The specific objective of this study has been

1. To investigate the correlation between social media usage and study habits among students
at Oda Bultum University
2. To identify the differences in study habits between students who frequently use social
media and those who do not, and to examine the implications for academic performance
3. To determine which social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) have
the most significant impact on study habits among students at Oda Bultum University
4. To examine the relationship between academic performance, self-efficacy, and social
media usage among students at Oda Bultum University
5. To investigate the moderating effect of parental influence, peer pressure, and academic
motivation on the relationship between social media usage and study habits among students
at Oda Bultum University.
1.5 Scope of the study

This study covered Oda Bultum University students who are in sophomore and above class of year
during 2023/24 academic year. The study was used both quantitative and qualitative data sources
taken from students using semi structured questioner. The researchers followed mixed research
method to make the analysis and the research was conducted on effect of social media on reading
habits of students.

1.6 Limitations of the study

When conducting a study on "The Effect of Social Media on Study Habits of Students" at Oda
Bultum University, there are several limitations that you may encounter. Here’s a list of potential
limitations for such research:

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The study may be limited to a specific number of students from Oda Bultum University, which
may not be representative of the entire student population or students in different academic levels
or disciplines.

Limited time for data collection can affect the comprehensiveness of the study, leading to
inadequate insights or understanding of the relationship between social media use and study habits.

The findings may not be generalizable to other institutions or communities outside the Oromia
Regional State due to cultural differences in social media use and educational practices.

Other variables, such as socioeconomic status, personal circumstances, and teaching methods, may
influence study habits but may not be accounted for in the research.

1.7 Significance of the study

The findings of this research output have many significances for academic institutions,
government, non-government organizations, research institutes and policy makers to understand
the effect and cost of social media on academic performance of students in higher education. In
addition to this, the findings of this research match benefited universities to develop regulations
for systematic use of internet services.

1.8 Organization of paper

This paper was organized in to four parts, the first chapter presents the introduction part of the
study, second chapter is research methodology, third chapter is the result and discussions and the
fourth chapter conclusion and recommendations.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1 Description of the study area

Oda Bultum University is dully established on 26th of December 2015 as one of Ethiopia’s Higher
Education Institution vested with all missions and responsibilities provided on Higher Education
Proclamation No.650/2009 through the FDRE Councils of Ministers Establishment Regulation
(legislation, 2016). The University is located at Western Hararghe Zone Chiro town at a distance
of 315 km from Addis Ababa capital city of Ethiopia. The University begins its operation by
opening 7 colleges and 14 departments and currently reached around at 9 colleges containing 34
departments in different streams.

2.2 Data Source and Type

For this research the researchers collected data from primary and secondary sources. The primary
source of data was collected through questioner and secondary source of data were collected from
books, internet and literatures related with social media.

2.3 Research Design and Strategy

The researchers used mixed research design methods through triangulation. The researchers were
applied both qualitative and quantitative research design methods to collect the necessary data
from respondents. To collect the required and necessary data the researchers distributed questioner
and get filled through enumerators that were selected and trained about data collection strategies
and methods. Furthermore, FGD were used to get further explanations from students about effects
of using social media on reading habits.

2.4 Sampling Technique and Sampling Procedure

The researchers applied purposive research method to select Oda Bultum University to conduct
the research. After that the researchers randomly selected 280 students from the seven colleges
using simple random sampling technique using PPSS. For this research the researchers selected
280 students from 1102 students to conduct the research and to answer the research questions
formulated. The 280 students were selected using Waste on sample size formula.

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 Table 2.1: Sample size determination formula

Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

2.5 Method of Data Analysis

For this research the researchers applied descriptive statistics to answer the research questions. For
data presentation, researchers used frequency tables, graphs, charts, and percentages. Moreover,
researchers integrate FGD results with other data collected from students using narration.

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 CHAPTER THREE
3. RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS
In this part of the paper, the researchers make data analysis and presentation using frequency
tables, bar graphs, and charts. To answer the research questions, 280 questioners were
distributed and collected from students that are following their regular classes within the
university from 2nd to 5th year by the academic year of 2023/24. After the questioners are
collected, it was filled and coded using SPSS21 to make data analysis and presentation up on
the specific objectives of the research title.
3.1 Background of the Respondents

Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

As it is presented in Table 3.1. From total students selected to give responses on social media
usage, 213 (76.1%) were males and the remaining 67 (23.9%) were females. In the above table
from total 280 respondents, 245 (87.5%) answered that they do have a social media account and
the remaining 35 (12.5%) answered that they did not have a social media account. This revealed
that 87.5% of students have access to different social media accounts within Oda Bultum
University. From these respondents, 7 (2.5%) had age less than or equal to 17, 238 (85.0%) had
age between 18-20 and the remaining 35 (12.5%) had age group between 21-23 respectively. As a
result, most students 213 (76.1) were males and also most of 238 (85.0%) of them were within the
age group between 18-20. Thus, this result is in line with ministry of education report (MOE,
2023/24)

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 3.2 Types of Social Media used by students

Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

From those respondents who responded that they do have social media account 240 (85.71%)
explained that they do have Facebook account, 170 (60.71%) have Telegram account, 75 (26.79%)
do have Instagram, 42 (15%) do have WhatsApp, 145 (51.79%) do have IMO, 200 (71.43%) do
have YouTube and other respondents explained that 85 (30.36%) do have Viber. As it is shown in
the above table most students prefer to use Facebook account followed by YouTube account and
very few students prefer to use WhatsApp within the university. Students participated in the FGD
also asserted that most students preferred to use Facebook and followed by Telegram and IMO
respectively. Most of them explained further that this social media account was preferred to
exchange messages, assignments and also course materials with university students that are
followed their education indifferent universities throughout the country. They also further
explained that now a days; they prefer these accounts to follow political issues, ideas and other
related messages that are disseminated using the accounts.

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 Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

Bar chart 1
As it is shown on the bar chart from total students asked to respond how to access and use the
social media 240 students answered that they used the social media using their personal cellphone,
73 students explained that they used own laptop computer and the remaining 145 responded that
they do have an access to social medias using desktop computers in computer laboratory of the
university which is similar with (Cohen, 2011). As a result most students in Oda Bultum university
access social media accounts using their own cellphones using mobile data connectivity or using
WIFI connections within the campus. Students also further explained during FGD that most of
them are using WIFI connection of the university during both day and night time for different
purposes around the library since the server is available around it without having proper sitting
place and power connection for their cellphone.

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 3.2.1 Social Media Usage for Academic and Nonacademic Purpose.

Source: Own Survey Result, 2019

From total students asked to answer question related with social media usage for academic
purpose, 220 (78.57%) responded that they used different social media accounts to do assignments
given from instructors, 100 (35.71%) responded that they have been used to read reference
materials, 230 (82.14%) responded that they have used to write senior essays, 15 (5.36%) students
explained that the have been used to search scholarship opportunities and 115 (41.07%) responded
that they used the social media to exchange documents using emails. Furthermore, other 70
(25.00%) students explained that they used social media accounts for other purposes.

3.3 Time wasted and cost incurred by students in using social media

Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

Us it is shown in the above table, students waste minimum 2 hours and maximum of 12 hours in
using the social media. The average time wasted by students in Oda Bultum University is found
6.10 hours and its standard deviation among students is 2.22 hours. Similarly based on students
responded for the question about money wasted in suing social medias is found minimum of 3 birr

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and maximum of 15 birr per day and the average cost of using social media is 7.24 birr and the
standard deviation is found 2.77 birr per day. This revealed that most students in Oda Bultum
University wasted in using social Medias 6.10 hours and 7.24 birr per day rather than studying
their subject matter.

Benefits of using Social Media for Students

Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

Bar chart 2

From total students asked to explain about benefits of using social medias 245 answered that social
media helps them to create contacts with their old friends and family members easily throughout
the world and 180 students also explained that the benefits of using social media is to simply
download and read educational materials. In addition to this, other 240 students responded that
using social media benefited them in facilitation of sharing information and to follow posts about
daily events their friends and other 220 students explained that the benefits of using social media
is helping them to exchange educational and other documents through emails, face book, telegram
and IMO. Furthermore, students in the FGD explained that the benefits of using social media now
a days helps them to follow activists about political issues and other related issues about national
and regional affairs too. Most students further asserted in the FGD that university students using
social Medias to organize peaceful demonstrations too.

3.4 Effects and Risks of using social media on Students Reading Habits

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 Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

From the total students who respond for effects of using social media 230 (82.14%) explained that
using social media forced to reduce reading time for studying of their subject matter and other 200
(71.43%) students also explained that the effects of using social media affected to reduce their
CGPA of students score from semester to semester. Moreover, from total students selected to
respond for the above question 245 (87.5%) explained that using social media forced them to
change their study time habits from the previous constant study time since they missed their
previous proper study time to get internet access for social media usage at the WIFI area.
Furthermore, 196 (70.00%) of students asserted that using social media have an effect of stress in
time management on reading habits and other 150 (53.57%) of students explained using social
media have other effects like illness on eyes and headaches due to extended time usage of social
medias.

Source: Own Survey Result, 2024

Bar chart 3
Students are asked to explain risk associated with using different social Medias. 245 (87.5%) students
mentioned general addictions, 160 (57.14%) mentioned depression and anxiety, 120 (42.86%) explained
unrealistic expectations, 30 (10.71%) mentioned cyber bulling, 65 (23.21%) mentioned fear of missing out
and other 50 (17.86%) mentioned negative body image are some of the risks of using different social media.

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 CHAPTER FOUR
4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Conclusion

Recently due to the advancement of technology, virtual communication become widely used type
of communication throughout the world. As a result, most people in Ethiopia nowadays have
his/her own cellphone to use this type of communication. Similarly, most students in Ethiopia have
their own cellphone starting from secondary school for this type of communication. Mostly these
students utilize their cellphone to play games, to access social media accounts, and to make and
receive calls from friends and family members. Students in Ethiopia dominantly used Facebook,
YouTube, Telegram, Imo, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Viber to share messages and follow status
updates of their friends. Almost 87.71% of students in Oda Bultum University used Facebook to
follow status updates, to share photos, and messages of friends and relatives. Next to Facebook,
students used YouTube to follow, watch, and share video contents through internet connection. To
use these social media account, students wasted an average time of 6.10 hours per day and spent
an average Ethiopian birr of 7.24 per day than following their academic class and studying subject
matters. Nowadays the worst scenario in Ethiopian universities for degradation of quality
education is that, most students used social media accounts even to exchange assignments, project
works, and senior essays from one university to the other with the same topic and content as their
own original work rather than practicing for themselves. Furthermore, students begin to exchange
exam answers during continuous assessment and final exam periods using social media accounts
using their cellphone

4.2 Possible Recommendations

Based on the findings of this research, the following possible recommendations are forwarded for
further improvement: -

 Universities should organize short term training to aware effects of using social media
accounts on student’s reading habits in each academic year in collaboration with the student
union.

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  Universities should develop mechanisms to have off periods for social media accounts
access during class and study time within the campus in collaboration with the internet
administrators.
 MOSHE should develop proclamations in collaboration with universities to discourage and
penalize students directly coping assignments, project works, and exams using social media
accounts.
 Universities should establish online repositories throughout the country to discourage
direct copying of senior essays and project works.
 Ethiopian universities should work to develop proclamations on plagiarism and on taking
serious measures on plagiarized works.
 Universities should train their students how to screen out false information from actual
from social media accounts.

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 REFERENCE
1. Aaron Smith and Monika Anderson. (2018, March). Social Media Use Demographics and
statistics.
2. Abdi. (2018, February 24). Why is Telegram so popular in Ethiopia and not WhatsApp.
3. Aljohani. (2016). A survey of social media users privacy settings.
4. Flad. (2010). The influence of Social Networking in Academic Performance.
5. Grossman. (2010). Effect of Social media on academic performance.
6. Harrasi. (2014). The Impact of Social Networking.
7. Legislation, U. (2016). Senate Legislation of Oda Bultum.
8. Waste on. (2001). Sample Size Determination Formula.

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