Social Media Usage and Educational Engagement Among Undergraduate Students in Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Nigeria: Learned Helplessness

Research Problem: Academic underperformance continues to be a significant issue that concerns not only students but also the government and different school administrations. While some researchers construe parental styles, others perceive a poor educational environment as a factor. Hence, this study assessed the effects of internet usage on school engagement, academic motivation, and psychosocial well-being of undergraduates in Enugu through an examination of learned helplessness. Methods/Theory: The study adopts a quantitative method using a structured questionnaire to elicit information from 200 undergraduates. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Digital Native Theory was adopted to examine the profound control of social networks on cognitive and learning processes among the study population. Results: There are mixed opinions among undergraduates on internet engagement, suggesting students leveraged digital platforms as formidable sources for communication, entertainment, and academic purposes. There is a relatively low percentage of students who actively use the internet and social media for collaborative research and knowledge sharing. Conclusion: Students' apparent lack of control over the use of social media, which can be broadly characterized as helpless behavior, results in their incapacity to handle the majority of their academic assignments and other school engagements. Thus, an addiction to social media causes them to lose focus in class, and their academic performance suffers as a result. Key Contribution to Knowledge: The study provides insights into the detrimental impacts of internet dependency on the academic performance of undergraduates. Recommendation: Integration of digital literacy programs into the course curriculum of students.