Facebook’s Negative Effects: Why Your GPA Might Plummet
Facebook on iPhone by dreamspower
Facebook’s Negative Effects: Why Your GPA Might Plummet
According to a recent study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University, students who use Facebook on a daily basis do worse in school.
Researchers report that grades could drop a whole letter.
These findings will be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association by Aryn Karpinski.
The study shows that if a person spends more time on Facebook, then they will spend less time studying.
“Every generation has its distractions, but I think Facebook is a unique phenomenon.”
The problem with this argument, however, is that the control group that “did not use Facebook” is arguably not as socially inclined to begin with.
Is this study fair?
More importantly, is GPA really all that important when everything’s all said and done?
Author Daniel Goleman argues no.
In his 1995 book titled “Emotional Intelligence,” he questions the concept of conventional intelligence by stating that it is too narrow, and not a true indicator of a person’s potential for success.
One important aspect of emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and understand other people’s emotions, and then reacting accordingly.
This, Goleman states, is how competence should be measured.
Does Facebook lower your GPA? Does an increase in social activity hinder your academic performance?
It’s possible, however, that perhaps the real argument is whether GPA is a clear indicator of your abilities to begin with.
Shouldn’t someone who is skilled at networking and connecting with others be regarded higher than someone who lacks those skills, but has a higher GPA?
Thus the hole in Ohio State’s hypothesis arises.
And I will continue my daily Facebook status updates without shame.
