International Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research (IJAMR)   Year: 2021 | Volume: 5 | Issue: 1 | Page No.: 143-150 Examining the impact of Social Media Usage on Academic Performance of Senior High School Students: A Study of Selected Senior High Schools in Ashanti Region, Ghana Elvis Duodu and Janet Asirifi Dankwah Abstract: Social media is a common method of communication in Ghana among students. However, inappropriate use of social media may raise concerns about whether it influences academic performance. By surveying SHS students in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana in terms of social media use and their academic results, the study explores this issue. The study also analyzed which of these platforms is the most common social network, the number of hours spent on using social media networks, and the impact of social media use on SHS students' academic results. The survey obtained 200 responses and the study questions were analyzed using frequency tables and pie charts. The findings revealed that the types of social media networks being used are WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Of these four forms, all four were used by 18% of respondents. It was apparent from the results that Facebook and WhatsApp are the two most prominently subscribed or used social networking sites. Again, the report found that 21.5% of respondents spend less than one hour a day on social media, 37.5% spend 3 to 5 hours a day on social media, and the remainder spend 1 to 3 hours a day on social media. Therefore, it has been documented that most learners spend more hours on social media networks during the study period. The study also showed that the academic performance of respondents was negatively affected by the use of social media, with 46% of respondents demonstrating that the use of social media networks leads to a decline in their grades.