Distracted Minds: Unveiling Gender Disparities in Social Media Distractions Amidst Library Reading

Abstract

This descriptive survey research design aimed to explore gender differences in the impact of social media distractions during reading in the library among undergraduate students. The study included a total of 373 participants who were regular library users and had access to social media platforms. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data, and the findings indicated that social media, particularly messaging on WhatsApp, was the most distracting activity for students in the library. Males reported more distraction than females for platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Telegram. Reading and responding to social media messages was the most common social media activity among students in the library. The majority of participants perceived social media to harm their reading habits, with a higher number of females perceiving social media as harming their reading habits compared to males. The study recommends that libraries and educational institutions develop clear policies and guidelines on the use of social media in libraries, provide resources aimed at helping students manage social media distraction and improve their reading habits, and offer training to staff members on how to identify and address social media distractions among students.

Keywords

• gender disparities
• social media distractions
• library reading
• undergraduate students
• messaging
• whatsapp
• reading habits
• library policies