Students’ Use of Social networks for Academic Purposes in Moroccan Higher Education

Fatima Anaam, Zahra Anaam

Recently, social networking platforms have been increasingly integrated into students’ academic lives, reshaping the ways they communicate, collaborate, and access learning resources. The current study explores students’ utilization of social networks for academic purposes, focusing on tools being used, their frequency of use, motives, benefits and challenges encountered, if any. To this end, a questionnaire was administered online to 163 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in Moroccan higher education institutions in the 2025-2026 academic year. Following data collection, the data were coded and statically analyzed using Microsoft Excell software. The findings revealed that the vast majority of the participants used social networks in their studies, with YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram and LinkedIn being the most frequently used. Their utilization mostly took the form of text messages, audio messages or calls and collaborative documents like Google Docs. The participants reported that they used social networks for various academic purposes, most of which involved communication. In fact, they demonstrated that these networks were beneficial as they facilitated communication with classmates and teachers as well as group works. Nevertheless, using these platforms resulted in some difficulties such as reduced face-toface interactions, superficial online conversations, and an increased risk of addiction. The present study concludes that using social networks was common among students in the Moroccan educational context. However, their misuse generated multiple adverse effects which necessitate making strategic interventions. These include increasing the involvement of students in peer and group discussions to foster face-to-face social interactions and encourage more in-depth discussions.