Impacts of Facebook on Reading Habits of Higher Secondary Students : Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Abstract

Facebook is the most popular network site among young Bhutanese people. Students spend a
substantial amount of time checking Facebook and chatting with friends, which could be detrimental to
their reading habits. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of Facebook on the reading
habits of a higher secondary school students in Bhutan. A mixed method, specifically a convergent
design, was adopted for the study, and it was guided by the Pragmatism worldview. Quantitative data
were gathered from 274 participants and qualitative data were collected from 10 interviewees and one
focus group discussion. Participants included teachers, parents, and students from a higher secondary
school in Thimphu Thromde. A descriptive and inferential statistical following thematic analysis was used
for quantitative data and the qualitative data were analyzed along the same themes. The findings of the
study revealed that use of Facebook positively affected students’ reading habits. Students developed
positive attitudes towards reading, after they were exposed to inspiring and interesting articles. However,
the study also highlighted the negative impacts of Facebook on students’ reading habits. Further, the
study revealed that students have become complacent in reading owing to Facebook activities. The
findings of the study may help different stakeholders understand the importance of creating awareness
about media literacy to enable students to choose authentic reading materials on Facebook. This study
recommends the Ministry of Education to develop policy and provide media literacy education to students
to ensure they consume media information judiciously.