THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SECONDARY SCHOOLSTUDENTSWITH ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS

This study was on the effect of social media on secondary school learners of English language in Ugbowo, Ovia North East, Local Government, Benin City, Edo state. To direct the investigation, five research questions were posed. The process of theinvestigation involved a survey of several pertinent literatures. The design used in the study was descriptive surveys. One hundred (100) secondary school students made up the sample size for the study, with the participants being chosen from four secondary schools in Ovia NorthEast Local Government Area of Edo State. A structured questionnaire served as the tool for data collection, while descriptive statistics of frequency count and simple percentage was used in the data analysis. In light of the aforementioned, the study explores both the positive and negative dimensions of social media use, highlighting its potential to enhance vocabulary acquisition, listening and speaking skills, and cultural awareness through multimedia content and global networking. Conversely, it addresses the risks of distraction, cyberbullying, and overdependence on digital communication, which may hinder critical thinking, reading comprehension, and face-to-face interaction skills. The research underscores the importance of balanced integration, where educators and parents play an active role in guiding students to harness the educational benefits of social media while mitigating its adverse effects. Ultimately, this study advocates for the inclusion of digital literacy in school curricula to equip learners with the skills to navigate social
media responsibly and effectively for language learning purposes. The findings contribute to an nuanced understanding of how social media shapes the linguistic and cognitive development of secondary school learners, offering practical recommendations for educators, policymakers, and researchers in the field of language education