Students' increased time spent on social media,and their level of coronavirus anxiety during the pandemic,predict increased social media addiction

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the level of anxiety and the duration of social media use increased in university students.

Objectives

This study aimed to examine the relationship between coronavirus anxiety and social media addiction in university students.

Methods

The sample consisted of 346 university students in Turkey. The data were collected online using the Sociodemographic Data Form, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale Short Form and the Social Network Addiction Scale. The data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance, Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson correlation analysis, chi-square analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.

Results

The results showed that the mean coronavirus anxiety score was higher in men than in women. Social media addiction increased as the daily time spent by the students on social media increased. A positive correlation was found between the daily time spent on social media before the pandemic and social media usage during the pandemic. It was concluded that students use social media more during the pandemic than before it and that social media addiction increases as the students' coronavirus anxiety increases.

Conclusion

It is important to plan initiatives to reduce coronavirus anxiety to prevent social media addiction in young people.

Study Location and Sample

The research population consisted of 1st and 2nd year students who are studying in the Medical Services and Techniques Department of Vocational School of Health Services at a university located in the west of Turkey, during the Fall Term of academic year 2020–2021. Students in this department are studying in anaesthesia, dialysis, first and emergency aid, medical laboratory techniques, medical imaging technique, and medical documentation and secretarial programmes.     

A study of student perceptions in a Saudi Arabian university

The focus of this study is on student perceptions in a Saudi Arabian university. Data are presented that indicate that the university studied has major functional limitations. Most students have little academic orientation; college education is viewed as a means to rapid prosperity. They also lack adequate scholastic preparation and hold negative perceptions of faculty and administration, generally viewing the former as corrupt and the latter as insensitive to their needs. Reference is made to cultural constraints on college education and to the unprofessional treatment of expatriate faculty by the university administration.     

TEACHNJ： An Evaluation of Two Years of Implementation

In July 2009, the Obama administration lauched its $4.35 billion Race to the Top （RTT） Fund, providing states with competitive grants in an effort to reform education. One of the main conditions of this program was to award educational innovation. With this in mind, states enacted new legislation in the hopes of attracting more funding for their proposed programs. Although there were many levels of reform targeted by the RTT, of significance to this research is the emphasis placed on improving teacher effectiveness and measuring teacher performance via evaluation systems. The Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey （TEACHNJ） Act was adopted by the New Jersey legislature in August 2012 with the intent to raise student achievement by improving the quality of instruction. This research explores the impact the TEACHNJ Act has on teacher evaluations and professional development. A survey was administered to 1,235 public school teachers in New Jersey to ascertain teacher perceptions of the： （a） evaluation system in their school; （b） level of communication between teachers and administrators; and （c） availability, frequency, and effectiveness of professional development opportunities. The response rate was 21%. We found that formal evaluations are conducted infrequently with a varying degree of accuracy and impact. Nearly half of the teachers indicated that formal evaluations did not lead to improvements in their classroom. A majority of teachers questioned the administrative value of formal teacher evaluations, in particular the rewards and sanctions associated with the outcome of evaluations and a concem that poor performers were not sanctioned nor were effective teachers rewarded. We found that teachers perceive the greatest value to professional development, which is derived from peer mentoring and observations. We also found that professional development is the most effective when it is offered onsite, embedded in the classroom, continuous, and sustained over ti