Social Media Usage and the Mental Health of Senior Secondary School Students in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State

Abstract

This study examined the influence of social media usage on the mental health of senior secondary school students in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study was guided by three research objectives, research questions, and hypotheses. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The study population consisted of 4,215 students from 18 public schools in Ahoada West Local Government of Rivers State, with a sample size of 400 students selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected through a validated 4-point Likert scale instrument titled “Social Media Usage and Mental Health Questionnaire” (SMUMHQ). The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.87, indicating high internal consistency. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions, while one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The finding of the study revealed that frequency of social media usage was associated with students' mental health, with both beneficial and adverse experiences reported across the usage levels. Also, frequency of social media usage does not significantly influence the mean mental health scores of senior secondary school students in Rivers State. The study concluded that social media usage has a multifaceted relationship with the mental health of senior secondary school students in Rivers State. The study recommended, among other measures, that school counsellors should educate students on healthy and balanced social media habits, including appropriate screen-time management, sleep routines, and maintaining offline social interactions.