Social media has changed how students communicate, locate information, and connect with one another. The more difficult question is whether those same platforms actually improve learning or simply create another source of distraction.
Bharucha’s study of business students in India explored how social media was being used in higher education and whether it contributed to student engagement. The research included 568 questionnaire responses, followed by interviews and reflections from 250 students. The goal was to better understand when students used social media, how it supported formal and informal learning, and what negative effects accompanied its use.
The study is especially relevant through the lens of connectivism, which views learning as something that occurs across networks of people, information, and technology. As younger, highly connected students enter higher education, social media becomes part of the environment in which they communicate and learn.
The findings showed that social media use was widespread. Ninety-one percent of the students used at least one platform. Facebook was the most common, followed by YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Most students believed they received some benefit from these platforms, although educational use was not their primary purpose.
Even so, social media had a noticeable role in business education. Fifty-two percent of respondents believed it enhanced their learning experience, and 41 percent reported using Facebook for educational purposes.
Students also identified several strengths. Sixty percent believed technology changed education for the better, while many expressed frustration with the continued reliance on traditional “chalk and talk” instruction. Social media allowed students to maintain more direct contact with instructors and gave them access to information beyond scheduled class time. Many also reported becoming more comfortable with laptops, smartphones, and emerging technologies.
However, the study also revealed the other side of social media use. Hyperlinked platforms can make it difficult to maintain focus. Students may move quickly from one source to another without fully processing what they are reading. Some relied on the internet for quick answers rather than engaging deeply with the material, and 23 percent acknowledged that social networking had negatively affected their grades.
The study suggests that social media can support learning, communication, and engagement, but only when it is used with clear purpose. The platform itself does not improve education. Its value depends on how instructors and students use it.
Social media may offer a more interactive alternative to repetitive, lecture-centered instruction, but it can also divide attention and encourage shallow engagement. The challenge for educators is not simply deciding whether to use social media, but determining how to use it in ways that support meaningful learning rather than compete with it.