Dr. Fabian O. Nwankwo
Influence of Addictiveness to Tik-Tok on Students' Reading Habits: A Study in Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara
Abstract
This study examined the influence of addictiveness to Tik-Tok on the reading habit of students in Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe
Oghara (DSPT). The objective of the study was to ascertain whether TikTok addiction affects DSPT students’ academic
performance. The design of the study was the descriptive survey method in which questionnaire was designed for respondents.
The population of this study comprised of legitimate students of Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara for the 2023/2024 and
2024/2025 academic sessions. The sample size was gotten from the population of the study in such a way that will be a
representative of ND I, ND II, HND I and HND II students who were in both Spats and Regular programmes in DSPT. The
purposive sampling of non-probability sampling technique was adopted aimed to capture and give only students of DSPT who
have TikTok accounts the chance to participate in the research with regard to responding to the administered questionnaires.
The instrument's content and face validity were verified through expert evaluation by professionals in mass communication.
Reliability was determined through Cronbach’s alpha, yielding a coefficient of [α = 0.78], validating the internal consistency of
the tool. The data collection instrument used in collecting data was questionnaire on the influence of addictiveness to TikTok on
students’ reading habits. Data collected through the questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as
frequencies and percentages. Findings from the study showed that students of DSPT are familiar with the use of TikTok and the
use of TikTok is rampant among students of DSPT; thus, it distracts students of DSPT from reading their books, leading to poor
academic performance. It is therefore recommended that adolescents should be encouraged to use phones and internet for
educational purposes rather than the usual chatting with friends all the time. They should be advised to limit the use of TikTok
or other social networking sites and be encouraged to rather substitute the time to read novels and relevant academic books to
improve their knowledge.
