IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE ON GRADE VII STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND ACADEMIC WRITING PERFORMANCE

This study examines the influence of social media exposure on Grade VII students’ perceptions and academic writing performance. Employing a descriptive-comparative research design the study was conducted at Jacinto P. Elpa National High School in Tandag City Surigao del Sur involving 80 students equally divided into two groups: those with regular social media exposure and those with limited exposure. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and writing assessments across narrative descriptive and expository text types. Findings reveal that students frequently engaged with social media perceive it as beneficial for enhancing communication skills and shaping writing style evidenced by their higher use of internet slang and digital expressions. However despite these positive perceptions their writing proficiency predominantly remained in the lower to mid-range levels especially in descriptive and expository compositions. Conversely students with limited exposure held less favorable views and used informal digital language less often but exhibited similarly modest writing performance. The disparity in perceptions highlights the role of familiarity and engagement in shaping attitudes toward social media’s educational utility. Nonetheless both groups face challenges in achieving advanced writing proficiency underscoring a disconnect between social media use and formal academic writing skills. The study advocates for targeted instructional interventions to strengthen formal language mastery structural writing skills and digital literacy enabling students to navigate between casual and academic communication effectively. Ultimately educators are encouraged to integrate social media’s engaging elements within a balanced pedagogical framework that fosters strong academic writing foundations.