One of the most striking consequences of these developments seems to be a fundamental change in how people deal with electronic media today: Instead of using it to receive or retrieve information and/or entertainment only at certain points in time and for a specific amount of time, many people have now developed the habit of being online and connected with others almost permanently

There are not many comprehensive studies that examine the motivation for students to use social media in classroom settings. Further, there is not enough evidence in the literature that investigates the relationship between the use of social media by students for learning purpose and their satisfaction in the course that social media is used for. Therefore, in this study, we draw on the literature on technology acceptance and risk to address this gap. The next section explains our research model.

Another study shows that 70 per cent of students felt that social media was an acceptable learning tool to build the curriculum on and the same percentage found that it increased retention in lessons

Studies suggest that use of social media in educational settings offers the following benefits (Dunn, 2013; Legaree, 2014; Shah, Ahmad, Shabgahi, & Cox, 2016; Willems & Bateman, 2011): (i) increased communication between instructors and students, (ii) fast communication between instructors and students and between students and students, (iii) sense of community and increased collaboration between students, (iv) accelerated sharing of information, and (v) a means for students to engage with course materials outside of the classroom.

Research shows that the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter as educational tools has positive impact on student engagement and improves communication between faculty and students

Social media provides them with the tools to communicate with the students quickly and make their classrooms more engaging

With the increased use of mobile devices among learners, particularly the millennials, traditional ways of providing learning materials through learning management systems (LMS) are proving less effective in creating effective learning environments as LMS have limitations such as being less student centred and allowing specified activities that decrease learning effectiveness (Yasar & Adiguzel, 2010)

The participants reported that “these characteristics were nurtured by positive parental influence and a supportive school environment.”53 These findings underscore the importance of a nurturing home and school environment in fostering resilience as youth navigate the challenges of adolescence. An empirical study of the effect of Instagram browsing on affect in just more than 500 adolescents found that randomization to conditions that provided greater contextual awareness regarding posts by others mitigated against postbrowsing negative affect in teens who reported higher levels of negative social comparison.

Although population-based studies suggest a link between social media use and mental distress among youth, the impact of these technologies may vary among individuals — and some may be less susceptible to harm, as indicated by an emerging literature of experimental studies.

The context of social media use may mediate its effects. A structural equation modelling analysis of a cross-sectional survey of 910 high school students in Belgium found that, among girls, passive use of Facebook had a negative impact on mood but active use had a positive impact on perceived online social support, which in turn had a positive impact on mood.

In a 14-day, randomized, crossover experimental study under well-controlled conditions, use of electronic screens before bedtime was shown to disrupt sleep in multiple ways: longer time to fall asleep and decreased evening sleepiness, reduced melatonin secretion, circadian clock delay, reduced amount and delay in rapid eye movement sleep, and reduced next-morning alertness.

A systematic review of 20 studies found that use of social media was associated with body image concerns and disordered eating.16 In a randomized study, female participants reported more negative mood after just 10 minutes of browsing their Facebook account compared with those who browsed an appearance-neutral control website.17 Moreover, participants who were high in appearance comparison tendency reported an increased desire to change the appearance of their face, hair or skin after spending time on Facebook, in comparison with those who browsed the control website.17

uth communicate thoughts of suicidality and self-harm behaviours online, including sharing images of self-inflicted injuries. Explicit depiction of self-injury — particularly cutting — on social media is common, as shown by site content studies30,31 that found photographs or live videos of self-injurious behaviour, many of which had no warnings about graphic content.

A large longitudinal study of adolescents who did not have significant symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at baseline found that high-frequency digital media use was positively associated with emergence of symptoms meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for ADHD over a 2-year follow-up period, even after adjusting for known confounders.

Concerns have been raised about social media platforms having been deliberately designed — in highly sophisticated ways that use behavioural psychology, neuroscience and artificial intelligence — to promote behavioural reinforcement and behavioural addiction

We review the evidence that links smartphone and social media use with mental distress and suicidality among adolescents. We do not review evidence for online gaming. Although most existing data are observational, making causality difficult to establish, findings from a few longitudinal, randomized and controlled studies suggest that social media and smartphone use may be contributing to the rising burden of mental distress among youth. We consider the clinical implications of existing evidence, to help practising clinicians to work collaboratively with youth and families to mitigate potential negative effects of social media and smartphone use on mental health.

Self-poisoning rates among 10- to 18-year-olds, which had declined in the US since the turn of the century, increased substantially from 2011 to 2018, primarily among girls.7 Surveys of high school students in the US have shown a similar pattern for self-reported symptoms of depression, major depressive episodes and suicidality over the last 2 decades.

In Ontario, the proportion of teenagers reporting moderate to serious mental distress increased from 24% in 2013, to 34% in 2015 and to 39% in 2017

They most likely spent more than a decade in college. For better or worse, they value education. To stay on their good side, you should show them that you care, too. And, if you don’t, pretend as if you do.

I will use this poor student to kick off this year’s list of Professors’ Pet Peeves.

but don’t go in expecting to change your instructor’s mind about the grade

Giving negative feedback is hard work, so the red ink means that we’re taking an interest in you and your future.

What seems like a small thing on your end can add up to death-by-a-thousand-paper-cuts on our end. Make a good-faith effort to figure out the answer before you ask the professor.

We’re not saying that you can’t ever write like this, but you do need to demonstrate that you know when such communication is and isn’t appropriate. You don’t wear pajamas to a job interview, right? Same thing.

make sure you acknowledge that you received it. A simple "Thank you" may be enough.

For instance, if you want a reply, let the professor know. If you need to meet with them, make that known as well.

Capitalize words appropriately

In an email to a friend, it may be fine to skip over periods and commas. However, when you're writing to your professor, make sure you are using punctuation where you should.

As much as text language is taking over the internet, professional emails are one place where you should leave it behind. That is, don't use "u" in place of "you," or "2morrow" in place of "tomorrow." Use proper spellings

"My grandmother died. Give me an extension on this paper." Rather, say, "I've had a difficult week with the death of my grandmother. Would you please give me an extension on this paper?"

Professors have many students to keep track of, and they'll need to be reminded of who you are

keep your tone and language very professional. That means no emojis!

Asking a professor to go over this again makes you look like you are not a serious student, and it frustrates the professor because it wastes their time

you'll have a better chance of avoiding the spam filter. Plus, your school email looks more professional.

That can be helpful because they can set aside an appropriate amount of time to deal with it

Professors are busy people, so you don't want to drag out your email.

Your education is the beginning of your professional career, and you should treat any interactions you have in a professional manner, including emailing