The Influence of Social Networks on Students' Essay Writing: A Study of Selected Senior High Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

The 21^st century has been described as a century of technological advancement since social networks are currently being used regularly by millions of people all over the world. The paper examined the influence of social networks on students' essay writing in English Language in selected Senior High Schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Questionnaires were used to gather relevant data from students at the Senior High Level. In all, 201 sample was selected for the study out of a population of 420. The proportionate random sampling technique was used to collect samples from the selected schools. The study found out that Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Imo, Twitter and Viber are the various social media networks available to students. It is worth mentioning here that there is a high level of students' participation in social media networks in Cape Coast Metropolis. It was recommended that teachers should be more vigilant on their students in order to monitor their use of phones and other electronic devices so that they can limit or regulate the time their wards spend on the various social media sites. English Language teachers should be critical on students' writing and should encourage students to read over their writings.