A MULTIDIMENSIONAL CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7si4.1588Keywords:
social media usage, academic performance, self-regulation, cognitive load, university studentsAbstract
The growing presence of social media in university students’ lives has raised more concerns about its effects on academic performance. Although social media platforms may support communication, collaborative learning, and information sharing, existing studies report inconsistent findings on whether social media use enhances or undermines academic outcomes. One major limitation in current literature is the tendency to conceptualize social media usage as a single construct rather than as a multidimensional behavioural phenomenon. This concept paper proposes a multidimensional conceptual framework that explains how different forms of social media usage influence academic performance of Malaysian university students. The framework examines five behavioural dimensions: time spent on social media, study distraction, social media addiction, multitasking behaviour, and online peer influence. Grounded in Self-Regulation Theory and Cognitive Load Theory, the framework argues that the effects of social media depend not only on usage intensity but also on students’ capacity to regulate digital behaviour and manage cognitive demands. By distinguishing between productive and problematic forms of social media engagement, this paper offers a more comprehensive theoretical basis for understanding digital learning behaviour and provides direction for future empirical research in higher education.
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Copyright (c) 2026 LINA NADIA ABD RAHIM, SYUKRINA ALINI MAT ALI, NUR ATIQAH ZAKIYYAH RAMLEE, NUR FAZALINA SALLEH, NINI HARTINI ASNAWI
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