How funny that another article pops up about “social networking” online: Facebook Users Get Worse Grades in College
Her study found that Facebook user GPAs were in the 3.0 to 3.5 range on average, compared to 3.5 to 4.0 for non-users. Facebook users also studied anywhere from one to five hours per week, compared to non-users who studied 11 to 15 or more hours per week.
However, Karpinski emphasized that correlation does not equal causation, meaning Facebook use might not be the culprit behind lower GPAs or less study time.
For instance, students who spend more time enjoying themselves rather than studying might tend to latch onto the nearest distraction, such as Facebook. Or students who use the social networking site might also spend more time on other non-studying activities such as sports or music.
The study did show that students who work more hours at jobs spend less time on Facebook, while students involved in more extracurricular activities were also more likely to use Facebook.
I found that last paragraph above to be the most interesting. If a student works while at college, they are less likely to use or spend less time on Facebook. Perhaps the added reality of having to work to pay for things makes one less likely to want to dive into the false reality of Facebook and other such things.