The Role of Social Media Networking Sites in Supporting the Capabilities of Saudi University Students

Abstract

The study aims to clarify the role of social networking sites in supporting the capabilities of Saudi university students through increasing cultural awareness and social interaction among them, determining the justifications for Saudi university students to use social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and determining the degree of impact of social networks on interaction. The questionnaire method was used to collect data, and the sample size was determined by equitable distribution to a sample of 450 individuals, with 418 valid models obtained for analysis. The study reached several results. There is a positive and strong impact of social networking sites on increasing the capabilities of students in the universities under study by increasing cultural awareness and social interaction. Social media allows community issues to be raised for discussions such as educational, health, and other issues, and their effects on individuals, groups, and societies vary between negative and positive. The study recommended the necessity of continuous improvement of networks, computers, and software to improve working conditions in the universities under study. The study recommended raising the efficiency of the university’s infrastructure by modernizing laboratories, servers, websites, and educational platforms while providing training programs using social media as a means of receiving information in addition to raising the speed and capacity of the Internet.