Correlation Between Undergraduate College Students' Facebook Use and Co-Curricular Involvement

Abstract

This study determined if a correlation existed between college students‟ Facebook use and co-curricular involvement. While Facebook use has exploded in the past decade, research on how this phenomenon affects college students and student affairs professionals is limited. For the purpose of this study, Facebook use was quantified in terms of minutes of use, frequency of logging in, and services utilized; and involvement was measured by how much time and in what way students participated in co-curricular activities and utilized campus resources. A statistically significant, but weak, positive correlation was found between the amount of time participants‟ spent on Facebook the previous day and the number of hours per week they participated in activities outside of the classroom (r = .137, p < .05). Student affairs professionals should understand the results of this study in order to effectively promote student involvement in an environment dominated by Facebook use.