Influence of Social Media on Reading and Writing Abilities of Undergraduates (a Study of Mass Communication Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti)

This study is investigating the influence of social media on reading and writing abilities of undergraduate students of Federal polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. Social media exposes students to various forms of writing, from blog posts to articles, tweets, and comments, which can improve vocabulary and comprehension skills, students actively write on social platforms, which can help them practice written communication, express opinions, and develop personal voices. Platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and academic networks provide access to diverse, real-time information, enhancing students’ ability to engage with different topics and broadening their reading skill and social media fosters peer interaction and collaborative learning, which can improve critical thinking and enhance language skills through group discussions and debates. Social media encourages quick, informal communication, often using abbreviations, slang, and emojis. While this can improve typing speed and digital communication, it may lead to a decline in formal writing standards, as students may struggle with grammar, spelling, and structure in academic and the quick, bite-sized content on social media can reduce students' attention work span, making it harder for them to engage deeply with long-form academic reading. This may hinder critical reading and analytical skills necessary for complex texts and assignments. Social media fosters fast information consumption, which can reduce students’ ability to critically assess information and articulate arguments in depth, impacting both reading comprehension and quality of academic writing while social media can introduce useful reading and writing practices, its informal nature and rapid information flow can challenge students' traditional literacy skills if not balanced with focused academic activities.