The Impact of Social Media on Critical Thinking Skills among University Students

Thesis Abstract

The proliferation of social media platforms has significantly transformed the information landscape for university students, raising critical questions about its influence on their cognitive processes, particularly critical thinking skills. This study investigates the impact of social media usage on critical thinking among university undergraduates, aiming to elucidate the extent to which social media fosters or hampers these essential cognitive skills. The specific objectives include assessing the frequency and nature of social media engagement among students, examining the relationship between social media usage patterns and critical thinking ability, and identifying mediating factors such as information literacy and digital literacy that influence this relationship. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to generate comprehensive data. The quantitative phase involves a cross-sectional survey of 400 undergraduate students from a large public university, selected through stratified random sampling to capture diverse disciplines and year groups. Data collection is conducted via a structured questionnaire measuring social media usage patterns, critical thinking skills (using the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal), and digital literacy levels. Qualitative data are obtained through semi-structured interviews with 20 students selected purposively to explore nuanced perceptions of social media's cognitive effects. The reliability of the quantitative instruments is established through Cronbach's alpha coefficients exceeding 0.80, while validity is ensured via expert review. Data analysis employs descriptive statistics to profile participants' social media habits, inferential analyses—including multiple regression analysis—to examine relationships between social media use and critical thinking scores, and thematic analysis for qualitative data to identify emerging patterns and contextual insights. The theoretical framework draws on the Dual Process Theory of cognition and the Media Dependency Theory, which posit that social media can influence cognitive processing modes and dependency on digital information sources, respectively. Expected findings anticipate a complex relationship that high-frequency social media use correlates with diminished critical thinking skills, potentially mediated by reduced information evaluation capacity and increased susceptibility to misinformation. Conversely, findings may reveal that certain types of social media activities, such as active commenting and critical engagement, could positively influence critical thinking development. The study also hypothesizes that digital literacy levels serve as a moderator in this relationship. The contribution of this research lies in filling a notable gap in the literature concerning empirical data specific to university students' social media habits and their cognitive implications within the context of developing critical thinking skills. It extends existing theoretical models by integrating digital literacy as a key mediating variable and offers policy-relevant insights for educators and policymakers aiming to harness social media as a pedagogical tool without compromising critical thinking. The main conclusion underscores the need for targeted digital literacy programs and critical media literacy education integrated into university curricula to mitigate potential adverse impacts of social media while amplifying its benefits. Recommendations include designing interventions to promote reflective social media practices, fostering digital literacy competencies, and encouraging active engagement strategies that support critical cognitive development. The study also suggests avenues for future research, particularly longitudinal studies to establish causal relationships and explore the evolving role of social media in cognitive skill acquisition across diverse educational contexts.