SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION, PEER PRESSURE, AND THEIR PREDICTIVE ROLES IN ACADEMIC STRESS AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN A NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Throughout their academic career, students often face psychological stress due to the demands of their studies. This stress can be caused by both episodic and chronic factors. A recent study investigated the effects of social media addiction and peer pressure on academic stress among undergraduates at Lagos State University. The study was guided by the Transactional Model of Stress Theory, Life-Span Theory, and Social Information Processing Theory, and employed a cross-sectional research design. A total of 454 undergraduates, consisting of 41.6% male and 58.4% female participants, were randomly selected based on voluntary participation. The study utilized three scales: the Academic Stress Scale, the Peer Pressure Scale, and the Social Networking Addiction Scale. Results showed that social media addiction has a significant impact on academic stress among undergraduates (t= -9.07; df (452); P<.01). Those with high levels of social media addiction are more likely to experience academic stress than their counterparts with low-level social media addiction. Additionally, the study found that there is a significant joint influence of social media addiction and peer pressure on academic stress among undergraduates (R2 = .274; F= 85.14; P<.01). The study also found that peer pressure has a significant influence on academic stress among undergraduates (t= -6.63; df (452); P<.01). Those experiencing high levels of peer pressure are more likely to experience academic stress than their counterparts experiencing low-level peer pressure.

Based on these findings, the study recommends that parents and school management provide adequate support to their children to reduce stressful academic activities.

Keywords: academic stress, social media addiction, peer pressure