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Abstract
Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between excessive social media use and academic performance among Moroccan nursing students. It seeks to identify the factors associated with academic achievement in relation to daily social media engagement, while accounting for personal and contextual variables.
Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional design was conducted. A total of 524 nursing students were recruited through probabilistic cluster sampling. Academic performance was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Daily social media use was measured via smartphone screen-time tracking. Additional covariates included study hours, absenteeism, remedial sessions, overall smartphone use, academic engagement, self-efficacy, and educational use of social media. Spearman’s rank correlation, simple linear regression, and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Model assumptions were verified before analysis.
Results: A weak but statistically significant negative correlation was observed between social media use and academic performance (r = -.12, p = .027). Positive predictors of academic performance included proactive study planning, academic engagement, and perceived self-efficacy, whereas absenteeism, remedial sessions, distractive use of social media, and total smartphone time were negative predictors. Sleep duration, parental support, and educational social media use were not significant. The simple regression model explains 1.1% of variance (p = .020), while the multiple regression model explains 26.6% (p < .001).
Conclusion: Excessive social media use slightly reduces academic performance; however, its effect depends on other behavioral and contextual factors. Interventions promoting digital self-regulation and time management skills are recommended. Future longitudinal and mixed-method studies are needed to establish causality and guide educational policies.
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Article Type: Research Article
PEDAGOGICAL RES, Volume 11, Issue 1, January 2026, Article No: em0258
https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/18124
Publication date: 14 Mar 2026
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Article Downloads: 37
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