In today’s digital age, social media platforms have become integral to daily life for millions of individuals, including students.
A news conference was held at the board’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, by the Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, to announce the release of the UTME results.
According to the examination body, over 1.94 million candidates registered and sat the examination in 118 towns and over 700 centres across the country.
According to the board, 77% of the 1,842,464 candidates whose results were announced on Monday scored less than 200.
Oloyede said about the 1,842,464 applicants released: “8,401 candidates scored 300 and above; 77,070 scored 250 and above; 439,974 scored 200 and above while 1,402,490 scored below 200.”
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Nigeria users blame UTME’s failure on Social media
A user on x, Foundational Nupe Lawyer1, tweeted as @egi_nupe___, blamed social media for the collective collapse on Tuesday.
The lawyer expressed displeasure and blamed social media for the high failure rate.
He wrote, “So many things are to blame for this JAMB mass failure, but social media tops my list. Children who should be studying are constantly on social media as content providers, abandoning their education.
“I had to make conscious decisions to ban our last born, 17, from using TikTok by not using an internet-enabled phone while studying for WAEC and JAMB. She can study for these tests without the internet. She had to study hard and focus because all the materials were in hard copy.
He said that though social media has its advantages, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
He added, “No doubt, social media has its good sides, but the negatives outweigh the positives, especially for children and teenagers. Even as adults, you have to make conscious efforts not to be swept away by the negativity and distractions of social media.
Another person, Enkay Orji-Daniel, blamed social media for the failure. He wrote, “What is expected of every child misusing phones?”
Omotola Oluwadare attributed the blame to Yahoo Yahoo and TikTok, a popular platform for online fraud. His words: “The TikTok and yahoo generation, pampered by their too-know parents.”
Social Media Strategies for Future UTME Aspirants
In UTME preparation, social media can help or hurt students. Although these platforms provide instructional tools and support networks, they can also cause UTME failure due to distractions and stress.
On the one hand, social media serves as a virtual library, granting students access to many study materials, practice tests, and interactive learning communities. Videos, study groups, and forums on YouTube and WhatsApp allow students to communicate, share knowledge, and get advice from peers and teachers. Improve UTME performance by boosting comprehension, study skills, and confidence using these tools.
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Frequent social media also threatens students’ academic success. Online distractions like notifications, scrolling, and FOMO can cause procrastination and mismanagement, wasting study time. In addition, Instagram and Twitter’s artificial achievement standards can cause tension, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy, lowering students’ confidence and focus during exam study.
Thus, while social media provides unmatched educational enrichment and connectivity, its unchecked effect can increase distractions, pressures, and unfavourable self-comparisons, leading to UTME failure. To maximise social media benefits while minimising hazards, students must practise self-discipline, set boundaries, and prioritise offline study practices.