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Facebook gets an F

posted by Carleigh on 4/15/2009 5:08:27 PM

Ohio State University just released a study that apparently links the use of Facebook to less study time and lower grades.

Facebook

It seems obvious.

Facebook sucks up free time, so naturally, highly active Facebook users may not be spending as much time with the books as their non-Facebook member counterparts.

But that is not to say that using Facebook causes lower grades.

Correlation is not causation.

Some students are more prone to being distracted than others. Facebook just happens to be a popular distraction, but not necessarily the cause of students being distracted in the first place. If it wasn't Facebook, it would be a video game, or a crossword, or a totally awesome and engaging and incredibly well-written study blog. (Ha).

In fact, Read Write Web points out a number of reasons why this study may not measure up.

So I'd like to hear from you. Forget the study, how has Facebook affected your grades? If it weren't Facebook, would you be an A+ student, or would you just find some other distraction?

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COMMENTS:

posted by Chem2 Student on 4/21/2009 10:38:44 PM

The student needs to learn to manage their time efficiently. Any website/distraction can cause lower grades.

posted by Ashley767676 on 4/20/2009 6:29:05 PM

I think I speak for most procrastinators here when I say, it doesn't matter what distractions you take away from us we WILL find a way to procrastinate. Facebook and similar sites don't CAUSE people to procrastinate, it just makes us update out social circle.

posted by eireann on 4/17/2009 2:33:21 AM

thank you bosslady.
the fact is, if you can get through school work and still be on top of facebook drama you're probably getting a 3.0 or higher no matter what. But I am still a 3.2 student if not better and i party 5x a week and facebook 60-70% of the time i am awake, even during work. So facebook isn't a terrible distraction...it's just one of many fun distractions.
If you want to be distracted, then you make up ANY reason.
If you do not want to be distracted, then you become a doctor/lawyer easily and you enjoy a VERY stressful life.

posted by Dixie Cups on 4/16/2009 11:24:55 PM

I think it really depends on how much you're on facebook and what you actually do on there. Facebook is not only for writing on peoples' walls and commenting their pictures. There's also apps and groups that people use/join. Apps vary from quizzes to games to music etc etc. There's a "causes" application which allows you to recruit members for a cause like breast cancer. You can also help by donating money. There's apps like "spitcabulary", "The 10-min SAT Test", "SAT Vocabulary Word of the Day, "Word Challenge", "Marketplace", "KaChing" etc. Facebook isn't bad as long as you know how to make use of it. I use facebook a lot but it's only for the games but then again I'm always multitasking. My GPA is 3.6 and I'm an A/B student. Facebook is okay if you want to communicate with your friends and family but if you spend too much time on it, it may affect your grades. I assume most cramster users are college users. (I'm a high school student.) Since you're at college, you're most likely away from home. No one will be there to look after you and tell you to do your homework, stop playing games, or whatever. It's your job to make sure that you set time for yourself to be on facebook, play video games, and do homework. Homework should be your first priority.

posted by GOCAVS on 4/16/2009 10:16:22 AM

I think that Facebook does not even affect the grades that significantly. In the paper it says that people that use it have a GPA of 3.0-3.5 whats really wrong with that? Those people also have a social life also. The people that don't use probably do not even have a social life at all.

posted by Anonymous on 4/16/2009 12:03:13 AM

Facebook has not affected my grades, at all. I check it once a day, just like my email and any other website, but I do this when I have a moment of free time--not in the morning before class, (when I check my University mail,) or when I have to do homework--but around lunch time. The people who spend enough time on Facebook to affect their grades, are spending too much time on the computer and not enough time being focused on what really matters.

Get a schedule book, make your priorities, and stick to school. It's not the internet's fault that you're procrastinating. It's YOUR fault.

posted by *BoSsLaDy* on 4/15/2009 10:57:33 PM

I feel that we as individuals should take responsibility for our own actions!! Apparently most of us are in college and are on our on, so mommy and daddy are not going to be over our shoulders telling us not to be on facebook and you should be doing your homework!! I am a proud Facebook and Myspace user and I use the websites faithful everyday and yet maintain A/B grades in all of my classes. So its not the websites fault that some dumbass student know they got a 8am exam in the morning and stayed on facebook and myspace all night long not trying to study for that exam!! And like (eireann) said above me they are great sites to keep in touch with family and friends that you can not see on a day to day basis (borden)!! And not only that, its great for meeting potential employers if your seeking a job that just so happens to be in a different state. So don't blame the websites if your failing the class that you signed up for, paying 500+ dollars to take the class for 4-5 months!!!! Cause its not like someone put a gun to your head and told you, "If you don't use Facebook or Myspace I am going to blow your freaken brains out"!!!! Thats just crazy!! Come on now people take responsibility for your own actions, its time we stop blaming everything else and everyone for our own misfortune, and time to man up and woman up to our own responsibilities!!

posted by T.M.T. on 4/15/2009 8:41:06 PM

FOR LONG DISTANCE FRIENDS AND FAMILY....................GET THEIR PHONE NUMBERS......................!

posted by T.M.T. on 4/15/2009 8:39:34 PM

THAT IS EXACTLY WHY I GOT OFF OF FACEBOOK...........I AM AN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR...............FOR ALL ENGINEERING MAJORS AND ALL OTHER SCIENCE MAJORS...................IF YOU WERE SMART YOU WOULD NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON FACEBOOK..................FACEBOOK : T(TIME) = 0:00:00.......................STUDIES : T(TIME) = INFINITY..................I REST MY CASE..........

posted by eireann on 4/15/2009 6:40:25 PM

No matter what it is, there is always going to be something out there to distract us. Facebook/Myspace is just a feel good way of being unproductive as it enables you to connect with long lost friends/family or search for a future significant other while putting aside your daily responsibilities.

posted by borden on 4/15/2009 6:32:30 PM

I feel Facebook and Myspace and all of the other websites are a complete waste of time. Whatever happened to people talking face to face? Get rid of it forever and start interacting amongest yourselves again.

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