Facebook Users Get Lower Grades

[udontno]

Article

(Newser) – College students who use Facebook are less likely to be crowing about their grades in status updates, according to a new study that found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that non-Facebooking students get significantly higher grades. The Facebook users all said in a survey that the site didn’t interfere with their study habits, but on average they spent only one to five hours a week studying—compared with 11-15 for non-users.
The average Facebook user had a GPA in the 3.0-3.5 range, while non-users had an average between 3.5 and 4.0. The study doesn’t necessarily prove that Facebook causes the dip, the researcher said—it might just be the distraction du jour for generally distractable students. “I’m just saying that there’s some kind of relationship there,” said the lead researcher, “and there’s many third variables that need to be studied.”

This possible connection does not surprise me.

[Marionette.]

Correlation does not equal causation.

[losing touch.]

they should do a study for teenhelp users, since TH seems to detract from my studies more than facebook

[Stephanie]

Eh, I thought everyone had Facebook
Must have been a hard task finding people who actually don't have it.
Every single person in my year has it.
And yeah, I do think TH is so much more of a distraction...
like right now, perhaps.

[Anthropomorphic]

So what? There are plenty of straight A students with Facebook accounts. I'm pretty sure that if there was no Facebook, the kids with lower grades would occupy themselves with something else (not school related).

[noise94]

I'm sure they'd manage to do just as bad without Facebook.

[Hyper Sonic]

Originally Posted by xxEllexx

they should do a study for teenhelp users, since TH seems to detract from my studies more than facebook

Could not have put it better myself.

It's not surprising

[Double X]

Originally Posted by Marionette.

Correlation does not equal causation.

This.

I don't get, especially when there was a counterpoint in the article, why they would even post that article. What's the point, especially if the data doesn't really prove anything.

[kimvia]

lol.... *is a facebook user* *has lower grades*

[Pandamonium]

This isn't surprising at all. I see more students on laptops browsing Facebook during class than I ever have before. Some of them manage to do OK, others literally don't pay any attention and fail. I'll have a nice giggle when a similar article pops up about Twitter use and grades.

This could also be argued for any social networking/socially popular site. Spend a lot of time on the site, other things suffer.

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

I'll admit, I don't use facebook nor myspace. Although, I do use MSN, this forum and another forum.

But these results aren't amazing. It's pure correlation, although I'm sure the media will jump on this, twist it around and bullshit it per usual.

[Hyper Sonic]

Originally Posted by YourNightmare

I'll admit, I don't use facebook nor myspace. Although, I do use MSN, this forum and another forum.

But these results aren't amazing. It's pure correlation, although I'm sure the media will jump on this, twist it around and bullshit it per usual.

It would not be the media if they did not treat a tenuous link as indisputable fact

[ChaosControl]

Originally Posted by Marionette.

Correlation does not equal causation.

Exactly.
I've spent ten minutes on facebook, does that mean I'm going to fail my exams? I agree that it's not exactly educational, but the same could be said about other things. Like people who talk on the phone get lower grades than people who don't. What if you were swapping physics notes on facebook, or discussing an educational topic?

[Lozzaa]

If facebook wasn't there we'd be doing some other internet browsing.
When internet wasn't there, it was sport, music etc..

Hmmm what they going to blame next? Global warming? Seriously, it wouldn't surprise me if they cooked up a story about Global warming causing some weird chemical imbalance...

[Casey.]

I spend all my free time on TH, does that mean I will fail? No. Some people just don't have any study skills, and since when has a 3.0-3.5 been considered bad?

[wanderlust]

phew!


thank god i use bebo...

[Xujhan]

Originally Posted by Hyper Sonic

It would not be the media if they did not treat a tenuous link as indisputable fact

This. Honestly, I doubt anyone is at all surprised by this.

[eunoia]

If you spend all of your time doing things other than studying, your grades will probably suffer. Doesn't mean it's all Facebook's fault. Omg, get this, maybe they should just study more?

[Work_In_Progress]

Originally Posted by handgrenadeheart

Exactly.
I've spent ten minutes on facebook, does that mean I'm going to fail my exams? I agree that it's not exactly educational, but the same could be said about other things. Like people who talk on the phone get lower grades than people who don't. What if you were swapping physics notes on facebook, or discussing an educational topic?

You see those Facebook users on the article, they probably don't use Facebook in moderation. Like everyone should with their liquor. Almost everyone I know that use Facebook are on it at least several hours a day. They crave to get "drunk" in getting picture comments, wall comments, updating pictures, creeping people that they don't really know, etc. and place that as a higher priority than actually going outside and conversing with people face-to-face or doing something else that is logically more important, such as studying for a test.

Someone like you who may have spend 10 minutes will likely not affect your ability to pass a test, just like someone who only has one beer will likely not affect their ability to walk in a straight line. But this article I believe aims mostly at those kinds of students that spend over 4 hours a day on Facebook, just sitting in front of their PC's.. Just waiting.. For anyone to send them a message.. You can't tell me that it would not get in the way of more-than-obvious important things in your life, should you spend so many hours each day on Facebook.

[Ellie]

I'm pretty sure everytime I've been to the library the person next to me has been on facebook xD

But really, the 'research' is pretty much just common sense. Distraction = less time studying = lower grades. I guess facebook is just unlucky that they were the ones chosen!

[leanne123]

i spend alot of my time on facebook, and simmilar sites, and i never failed my exams :P x

[Khadra]

Silly if you ask me. Even if it were true, what's the point of knowing it? It's not like you can shut down facebook.

I would also like to say I am a frequent user of facebook AND a straight a student.

[BrittneyNicole]

It doesn't really surprise me? People just need to study more and stop letting FB interfere with their studies.

[molliegym]

I don't think study is surprising, necessarily. But it's not the usage of facebook that causes low grades- it's less studying (and I know some people can do almost nothing and get a 4.0, and some people can bust their ass for a 3.0, but generally...) that causes lower grades.

[Toast]

That's silly to blame a website. The problem isn't the students using Facebook, it's the students wasting their time. Seriously though, how much time are you spending on Facebook that it takes that much time? I only go on Facebook maybe once a week at most, and just check stuff, maybe message a person or two, and that's it.

[Gixxers rock]

Non-facebookers don't have friends

[InSovietRussiaORGASMGotU]

Originally Posted by Gixxers rock

Non-facebookers don't have friends

YAY, I have no friends then.

[Gidig]

Originally Posted by Marionette.

Correlation does not equal causation.

You so stole this out of my mouth.
But really, like, someone who would usually get grades is usually (Yes I'm stereotyping and this isn't always the case) the people who go home and study, who don't hang out with friends on a regular basis, and who don't take much free time for themselves. Where people on Facebook aren't usually the type to study to begin with?
Plus.. you could find so many things people are distracted with.

[XC77]

Ya this is a just one of those weird statistics in which it really means nothing at all. The morwe meaning full study would be if people who joined facebook got lower grades. What about some of my friends who are members but don't have computer access at home? Do they fall in there as well?

[freelancertex78]

Facebook causes bad grades? That's pretty ridiculous.
I'm on facebook all the time. I've got a GPA of 4.0.

[Mel14]

I have a facebook and my grades are just fine haha.
Actually facebook has SAVED my grades...contacting people...getting help...organizing projects...so on and so on
facebook wins!

[Care-o-Bear]

Originally Posted by xxEllexx

they should do a study for teenhelp users, since TH seems to detract from my studies more than facebook

Haha, I was going to say the same thing!
Well, I use facebook and am very proud of my 4.0 GPA. But then again I'm one of those people who doesn't study for anything and still gets straight A's.

[Naomi.]

didnt they drop on average a grade or something???
ah well moral of the story>>dont go on facebook when revisiing
i wonder what the stats are for people on TH?
hmmm...