The impact of social media use on students’ behaviour change in Tanzanian tertiary institutions

Fredrick Elias Sanga

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.2.4.5

Authors

Fredrick Elias Sanga Tanzania Institute of Accountancy Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.2.4.5

Keywords:

Behaviour Change, Social Media Use, Students, Tertiary Education Institutions

Abstract

Technological advancements worldwide have led to the rise of social media as a tool for learning and social interaction across gender and age groups, often through YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. However, little is known about how it impacts students’ behaviour change in tertiary institutions. Therefore, this study examined the use of social media on students’ behaviour change in tertiary institutions. It was. Guided by the equation Theory. The theory suggests how people treat computers, television, and new media like real people and places. The theory was significant in this study because the effects of treating social media as real people determine the effects of social media on students’ behaviour through their daily interactions with such platforms. Using a sample of 398 students across 10 tertiary institutions in Dar es Salaam. Data were collected through online questionnaires, follow-up interviews, and observation. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis techniques, while quantitative data were reviewed through descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results showed that social media had a positive and significant effect on students’ behaviour change in tertiary institutions. Social media has improved their study habits, dressing styles, eating habits, communication behaviour, relationships, and purchasing behaviour. These changes have improved their academic performance and social well-being. However, there was an abandonment of African traditional culture in dressing and food hence a need for policy interventions to regulate social media use purposely to sustain and uphold the benefits of social media and, at the same time, regulate its use to mitigate the detrimental effects through a legal framework, building students' capacity is proposed as a strong, effective institutional approach to encourage responsible social media use. Future research could explore the effects of social media among adult employees and graduates to see if online behaviour during higher education carries over into the workforce.

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