INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON PARENTING AND STUDENTS LEARNING ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BASSA LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF PLATEAU STATE

This research analyzed the influence of social media on parenting and students’ attitudes towards learning in Bassa Local Government of Plateau State. In order to achieve the objective, four 4) research questions and one hypothesis were formulated in furtherance of the study. The study used survey design, However, the research selected (190) One hundred and ninety respondents out of the total population for a closer study, through the simple random technique which nineteen schools were selected as sample to represent the study. Primary data was collected through the use of questionnaire, presented and analyzed by simple percentage. The hypothesis was tested using the chi-square at 0.05 level of significant. The findings of the study revealed that parents had divergent views concerning their children’s use of the social media networking, it is important for parents to learn and be abreast with the new technologies because that is how they could be able to mediate the negative effect that the social media networking predators have on their children, instead of denying access to social media networks, effort should be made towards enlightening the children on the dangers they may likely encounter each time they visit their social media accounts. It was also revealed that parents-child relationship and a communicative home environment is a panacea to monitoring children’s social media activities. the study therefore recommends that parents should learn to be abreast with new technologies like social media tools so as to enable them educate their children on how to present themselves each time they are on the social media, parents should Endeavour to create a friendly atmosphere in their homes such that it can enable their children to open up and freely discuss issues bothering them particularly issues on social media networking and to safeguard children from online predators, parents and caregiver should learn to be abreast with online social media tools or measures so as to know how to use them to monitor their children’s activities online.