THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MALAYSIAN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF PERSONALITY TRAITS

Author: Malaysia

Abstract

The increasing integration of social media platforms into higher education has transformed how students communicate, access information, and engage in learning activities. In Malaysia, platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Facebook have become central to academic collaboration, information sharing, and self-directed learning, yet prior research reports inconsistent findings on the relationship between social media use and academic performance, and the mediating role of personality traits in this relationship remains under-explored, particularly within Malaysian private universities. This study therefore examined the influence of social media platforms on students' academic performance and investigated the mediating effect of personality traits, guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Big Five Personality Theory. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected from 330 undergraduate and postgraduate students across five private universities in Malaysia (INTI International University, Sunway University, Monash University Malaysia, Geomatika University College, and Taylor's University) using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed descriptively using SPSS version 29 and inferentially using SmartPLS 4 for Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency reliability and convergent validity, although discriminant validity between Social Media Platforms and Personality Traits was not fully established. The structural model showed that Social Media Platforms did not have a statistically significant direct effect on Academic Performance (β = 0.953, t = 1.491, p = 0.136), but had a strong, significant effect on Personality Traits (β = 0.997, t = 3503.934, p < 0.001). Personality Traits did not significantly predict Academic Performance (β = -0.322, t = 0.500, p = 0.617) and did not mediate the relationship between Social Media Platforms and Academic Performance (indirect β = -0.321, t = 0.500, p = 0.617). The model explained 39.9% of the variance in Academic Performance and 99.5% of the variance in Personality Traits. The findings suggest that social media exposure alone is not a direct determinant of academic success; rather, its educational value depends on how purposefully students engage with these platforms. The study contributes to theory by integrating the Uses and Gratifications Theory with the Big Five Personality Theory, and offers practical implications for higher education institutions, academic staff, students, and policymakers in Malaysia seeking to promote responsible and academically productive social media use