IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE WRITING SKILLS OF STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN EKITI STATE

ABSTRACT This study examined how social media has become an integral part of students' daily lives, significantly influencing various aspects of their academic performance, including writing skills. This study examines the impact of social media abbreviations on the writing skills of students in tertiary institutions in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The research explores how frequent engagement with social networking platforms, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, affects students’ grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and overall academic writing. It also investigates whether the informal language commonly used on social media influences students' academic writing negatively or fosters creativity and digital literacy. Findings reveal that while social media enhances communication and exposes students to diverse writing styles, it also contributes to a decline in formal writing skills due to the habitual use of abbreviations, slang, and poor punctuation. The study further discuss the role of educators in mitigating these effects by promoting digital literacy and encouraging proper writing practices. This research concludes that while social media presents both positive and negative impacts on students' writing skills, there is a need for a balanced approach to its use in academic settings. Recommendations include integrating social media literacy into the curriculum and encouraging students to be mindful of their writing practices in both informal