Facebook has yet to acquire the bad reputation of other social networks, but its success makes it a juicy target for the fearsome Web meme. Case in point: a claim that Facebook saps academic performance.
“We can’t say that use of Facebook leads to lower grades and less studying – but we did find a relationship there,” said Aryn Karpinski, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in education at Ohio State University.
As usual with bad-media studies, the argument is for correlation, not causation.
Typically, Facebook users in the study had GPAs between 3.0 and 3.5, while non-users had GPAs between 3.5 and 4.0.
There is room for causation, though, at least in terms of either opportunity cost or something like addiction:
In addition, users said they averaged one to five hours a week studying, while non-users studied 11 to 15 hours per week.
FuturePundit notes that the opposite argument isn't raised, namely that social media can improve one's intellect and career.
(via Instapundit)
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