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Abstract
Background: Social media has become an important part of students’ academic and daily lives, providing opportunities for communication, collaboration, research, and learning, while excessive or poorly controlled use may cause distraction and interfere with academic activities. This study assessed the impact of social media use on academic performance among undergraduate nursing students in Peshawar.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate nursing students from three private nursing colleges in Peshawar from 5 July to 5 September 2026. A total of 160 students participated. Data were collected using a standardized adopted questionnaire covering demographic characteristics and the perceived impact of social media use on academic performance. Convenience sampling was used.
Results: Most participants were male (81.9%) and aged 19–22 years (71.3%). WhatsApp was the most commonly used platform (61.3%), followed by TikTok (18.8%). Although 63.7% reported 1–3 hours of daily social media browsing, 68.1% reported losing control of time due to social media use. About 31.9% sometimes used social media during class, while 37.5% reported that their concentration was sometimes affected. Similarly, 37.5% sometimes postponed academic tasks because of social media. Conversely, students reported using social media for academic problem-solving, research, online discussions, examination preparation, collaborative learning, and gaining additional knowledge.
Conclusion: Social media demonstrated a dual role in students’ academic lives. Its educational benefits may be maximized through purposeful use, while time-management strategies and responsible digital habits may help reduce distraction, concentration problems, and academic procrastination.