PATTERNS OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AMONG STUDENTS AT POLITEKNIK MERSING JOHOR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJMOE.831010Keywords:
Digital Social Usage, Online Interaction, Technical Education InstitutionsAbstract
Social media has become deeply embedded in students’ everyday lives, influencing patterns of communication, information access, and digital interaction. Examining students’ social media use is therefore essential to understanding how digital platforms shape behavioural tendencies and learning experiences in higher education contexts. This study aims to examine the patterns of social media usage among students at Politeknik Mersing Johor. Using a quantitative descriptive survey design, data were collected from 193 students across different academic programmes and semesters through an online questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that social media usage is highly prevalent among the respondents. TikTok and YouTube were the most widely used platforms, followed by Instagram and Telegram, while TikTok emerged as the most frequently used platform overall. Most students reported spending between four and six hours per day on social media, indicating that these platforms form a significant part of their daily routine. The results also show that students primarily use social media for communication, entertainment, and social interaction rather than for academic purposes. Overall, the study provides a clear institutional profile of students’ digital behaviour and offers useful insights for polytechnic administrators and educators in planning communication strategies, promoting digital well-being, and integrating social media more purposefully into educational practices.
Downloads
References
Al-Rahmi, W. M., Alias, N., Othman, M. S., Marin, V. I., & Tur, G. (2018). A model of factors affecting learning performance through the use of social media in Malaysian higher education. Computers & Education, 121, 59–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.02.010
Al-Qaysi, N., Granić, A., Al-Emran, M., Ramayah, T., Garces, E., & Daim, T. U. (2023). Social media adoption in education: A systematic review of disciplines, applications, and influential factors. Technology in Society, 73, 102249.
Astleitner, H., & Schlick, S. (2025). The social media use of college students: Exploring identity development, learning support, and parallel use. Active Learning in Higher Education, 26(1), 231–254. https://doi.org/10.1177/14697874241233605
Aran-Ramspott, S., Korres-Alonso, O., Elexpuru-Albizuri, I., Moro-Inchaurtieta, Á., & Bergillos-García, I. (2024). Young users of social media: An analysis from a gender perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1375983.
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
Dumford, A. D., Miller, A. L., Lee, C. H. K., & Caskie, A. (2023). Social media usage in relation to their peers: Comparing male and female college students’ perceptions. Computers and Education Open, 4, 100121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2022.100121
Dumpit, D. Z., & Fernandez, C. J. (2017). Analysis of the use of social media in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) using the Technology Acceptance Model. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0045-2
Goodyear, M. D. E., Armour, A., Wood, A., Jackson, B. (2025). A scoping review of the use and determinants of social media among college students. Healthcare, 13(17), 2234.
Jafry, N. H. A., Rahim, A. A., Md Yusoff, Y., Aziz, M. F., Rusly, N. S., Hamsan, M. H., Nazri, N. S., Karim, M., Zainudin, F. S., Mohd Fuat, N. F., Ahmad, N. S., Mohammad Sadzalee, M. S. R., Md Azam, M. A. A., Hasnan, N. I. H., Ahmad Kamal, A. A., Mohamad Yusaini, S. N. A., & Arham, A. F. (2023). Social media usage: The impact on Malaysian student life. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(12). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i12/20188
Kefalaki, M. (2024). The use of social media in higher education: The case of Greek universities. In A. Kavoura, T. Borges-Tiago, & F. Tiago (Eds.), Strategic innovative marketing and tourism (pp. 303–311). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51038-0_34
Kolhar, M., Kazi, R. N. A., & Alameen, A. (2021). Effect of social media use on learning, social interactions, and sleep duration among university students. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 28(4), 2216–2222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.01.010
Mat Isa, W. N. S. F., Mohd Rodzi, N. A., Libasin, Z., Idris, N. A., Mazeni, N. A., & Jaafar, R. (2022). The effectiveness of social media use among university students in Malaysia. In Exploring New Innovation in e‑Learning. Unit Penulisan dan Penerbitan JSKM. https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/60426/
Perez, E., Manca, S., Fernández-Pascual, R., & McGuckin, C. (2023). A systematic review of social media as a teaching and learning tool in higher education: A theoretical grounding perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 28, 11921–11950. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11647-2
Sivakumar, A., Jayasingh, S., & Shaik, S. (2023). Social media influence on students’ knowledge sharing and learning: An empirical study. Education Sciences, 13(7), 745. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070745
Smith, E. E., & Storrs, H. (2023). Digital literacies, social media, and undergraduate learning: what do students think they need to know?. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 29.
Sobaih, A. E. E., Moustafa, M. A., Ghandforoush, P., & Khan, M. (2016). To use or not to use? Social media in higher education in developing countries. Computers in Human Behavior, 58, 296–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.002
Sun, W., & Chao, M. (2024). Exploring the influence of excessive social media use on academic performance through media multitasking and attention problems: A three-dimension usage perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 29, 23981–24003.
Zachos, G., Paraskevopoulou-Kollia, E.-A., & Anagnostopoulos, I. (2018). Social media use in higher education: A review. Education Sciences, 8(4), 194. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8040194
Zhang, X., Abbas, J., Shahzad, M. F., Shankar, A., Ercisli, S., & Dobhal, D. C. (2024). Association between social media use and students’ academic performance through family bonding and collective learning: The moderating role of mental well-being. Education and Information Technologies, 29(11), 14059-14089.
Zikri, A. (2023, October 16). Higher Education Ministry to strengthen digitalisation in polytechnics through Poli Digital agenda. Malay Mail.
