Instant Messaging
The Impact of Instant Messaging
5/4/2023
Nisanda Mavundla
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................. 1
Table of Figures.................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction............................................................................................................................................ 3
Task Definiton ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Focus Question..................................................................................................................................... 5
Discussion and Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 6
Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 12
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Appendices.......................................................................................................................................... 15
Table of Figures
Figure 1 ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 2 ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 3 .....................................................................................................................................................
Introduction
Instant messaging refers to online chat programs that allows users to send real-time
messages over the intertnet. For example, someone using the internet to send a
message via WhatsApp the message will appear on the recipient’s screen as soon
as it is sent. With that being said, I am investigation on instant messaging and its
impacts on the academic world.
Task Definition
I will conduct an investigation of the impact of instant messaging on our daily lives.
But only in regards to a specific field.
I will focus on the impact of instant messaging in academic institutions. How instant
messaging is used and misused, the benefits of instant messaging on learners/rate
of learning and the extent to which learners, educators and parents are affected
positively and negatively by instant messaging. The purpose of this investigation is to
bring awareness about instant messaging and utilising it for a better improvement in
the academic institutions.
For phase 1 I will use Microsoft Word to type in my report and formulate my
questionnaire. For phase 2 I will utilise Microsoft Excel to create a questionnaire
analysis, formulate tables, perform calculations and create graphs. Moving further
on, I will utilise Microsoft Access and HTML for phase 3. I will utilise HTML to create
a homepage and other two websites. I will use database to create queries and a
report.
This is information is meant to cause an awareness on the heads of academic
institutions, educators and parents.
Focus Question
How does instant messaging impact the academic institutions?
Discussion and Analysis
Our educational path has been made easier by instant messaging. Since any
academic content can be found online, teaching has become easier with the help of
technology, and students can understand concepts much more quickly and easily.
Instant messaging enables students to communicate with their teachers via instant
chat to get clarity on ideas they might have missed in class.
Figure 1
Even though instant messaging made things easier, it still has some pros and cons.
Here are some advantages of instant messaging in the academic sector:
 Allows sharing of notes and documents
 Learners are able to reach out to their teachers and get clarifications on
concepts they misunderstood.
 Learners are able their assignments online.
Although instant messaging has advantages that make it stunning, it also has
disadvantages that penalise it. The disadvantages go as follows:
 Students found it hard to engage in in-depth discussions if they were always
catching up on the most recent messages
This is why involving a third party in academics can help minimizing the problems
and disadvantages instant messaging has on learners and that can no other person
than a parent or guardian.
How parental monitoring plays a role on how instant messaging can affect teenagers
Teenagers, even thou they may believe that they are old enough, think that they can
handle the negative impacts that instant messaging can bring. Others can even be
the main cause of other kids hating school. Parental control plays a big role the
academic life of a learner. If parents are involved in the academic life of a learner, it
gives the learner better results because he or she have got parental support that
pushes them to do their bests in class works, tests and exams, however parents
have different approaches on how to involve their selves in the academic life of their
child. Below I have a list of three types of parents and how they play a role in the
academic life of their child:
 Parents who make their children learn things by force
Such parents put pressure on their kids to always be the best. This make the now
stingy and since now they are unable to ask for help they end up not making it in life.

Parents who are careless about their children’s school world
Such parents are non-reliable. They pay little to no attention to their kids and show
no sign of interest in what the child is doing. The child starts acting wild and therefor
won’t excel in academics
How instant messaging is being used and misused
Instant messaging, In the academic word can be used in different ways, however
students takes advantage instant messaging and use for the “greater evil”. In other
words, instant messaging is being misused by students and learners and I have
gathered a few ways on how student misuse instant messaging
Teenagers use instant messaging to procrastinate
A lot of teenagers pretend to be doing schoolwork while being busy with something
else. They come up with excuses such as “Sir said that the assessment is due
tomorrow” to make their parents grant them more times to use their phones to play
games.
Teenagers use instant messaging promote explicit behaviours
Teenagers promote explicit behaviours such as cybercrimes to terrorise other
learners mind set. This drains the academic performances of most learners and also
creates trauma in their lives.
This is how instant messaging has an impact on learners by draining their academic
performances.
This is why involving a third party in academics can help minimizing the problems
and disadvantages instant messaging has on learners and that can no other person
than a parent or guardian.
How parental monitoring plays a role on how instant messaging can affect
teenagers
Figure 2
Teenagers, even thou they may believe that they are old enough, think that they can
handle the negative impacts that instant messaging can bring. Others can even be
the main cause of other kids hating school. Parental control plays a big role the
academic life of a learner. If parents are involved in the academic life of a learner, it
gives the learner better results because he or she have got parental support that
pushes them to do their bests in class works, tests and exams, however parents
have different approaches on how to involve their selves in the academic life of their
child. Below I have a list of three types of parents and how they play a role in the
academic life of their child:
 Parents who make their children learn things by
force.
Such parents put pressure on their kids to always
be the best. This makes the now stingy and since
now they are unable to ask for help they end up not
making it in life.
Figure 2
3
 Parents who are careless about their children’s school world.
Such parents are non-reliable. They pay little to no attention to their kids and
show no sign of interest in what the child is doing. The child starts acting wild
and therefor won’t excel in academics
How instant messaging is being used and misused
Instant messaging, In the academic word can be used in different ways, however
students takes advantage instant messaging and use for the “greater evil”. In other
words, instant messaging is being misused by students and learners and I have
gathered a few ways on how student misuse instant messaging
Teenagers use instant messaging to procrastinate
A lot of teenagers pretend to be doing schoolwork while being busy with something
else. They come up with excuses such as “Sir said that the assessment is due
tomorrow” to make their parents grant them more times to use their phones to play
games.
Teenagers use instant messaging to promote explicit behaviours
Teenagers promote explicit behaviours such as cybercrimes to terrorise other
learners mind set. This drains the academic performances of most learners and also
creates trauma in their lives. This is can lead to depression amongst the kids
experiencing this type of bullying
With depression and traumas happening upon the victims, it may fracture their
academic performance
Findings
According to the analysis I made in Microsoft Excel many students and leaners
conclude that instant messaging has a positive impact on the academic world and it
is affordable.
Conclusion
Bibliography
Appendices
Source 1
Table 1
NO
1
2
3
4
Question
What is instant
messaging?
How is it used?
Is it cost
effective?
What can be
withdrawn from
instant
messaging?
Level
1
Category
background
Type of source
internet
1
2
Background
Cost
Internet
Internet
2
Benefits
internet
summary
Source 2
Table 2
no
Questions
5
How can it affect people’s 3
lives when it is misused
Would education advance 3
if there was no instant
messaging involved?
What influence does it
1
have on learners?
6
7
levels
category
Problem
Type of
sources
Internet
Problem
Internet
Background
Internet
summary
Source 3
Table 3
8
9
10
Question
level
category
Should schools tech
learner’s safety
measures on instant
messaging?
What measures can we
take to decrease the
negative impacts of
instant messaging in the
academic world?
What advices can you
give to young learners
about instant
messaging?
3
solution
Type of
information
video
4
Solution
video
4
Solution
video
summary
Addendum A: Bibliographical Information
Source 1
Table 4
Source 1
Author
Gijs de Bakker
Name of website
Students and instant messaging
Name of web page
Rouledge
Date published
10 February 2023
Date accessed
01 March 2023
URL
https://journal.alt.ac.uk/index.php/rlt/article/view/945
Source 2
Table 5
Source 2
Author
Tang and Hew Int J Educ Technol High Educ
Name of
Effects of using mobile instant messaging on student behavioural, emotional,
website
and cognitive engagement
Name of
International journey of education
web page
Date
15 January 2023
published
Date
01 March 2023
accessed
URL
https://educationaltechnologyjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239021-00306-6
Source 3
Table 6
Source 3
Author
BRAVCIN
Name of the video
Effects of Text Messaging
Date uploaded
February 01 2012
Addendum B: Quality of information found
Source 1
Table 7
Source 1
Authority
The three authors are professors in the university of Manchester, UK who
conducted a research on how does instant messaging affect the academic
world in Africa.
Currency
The article was created in 2018 and updated in February 2023 since the
usage of instant messaging has evolved.
Accuracy
The information provided is corresponds with other websites in terms of
usage of Instant messaging in the academic world.
Objectivity
The authors of this site are not being bias, they are being very factual and
present their work in total honesty.
Coverage
This article provides a wide range of understanding of what instant
messaging is and how it affects the academic world.
Source 2
Table 8
Authority
The three authors are professors in the university of Manchester, UK who
conducted a research on how does instant messaging affect the academic
world in Africa.
Currency
The article was created in 2018 and updated in February 2023 since the
usage of instant messaging has evolved.
Accuracy
The information provided is corresponds with other websites in terms of
usage of Instant messaging in the academic world.
Objectivity
The authors of this site are not being bias, they are being very factual and
present their work in total honesty.
Coverage
This article provides a wide range of understanding of what instant
messaging is and how it affects the academic world.
Source 3
Table 9
Authority
The three author is a former teacher in Dansa international college who
has observe the behaviour of learners before and after instant messaging
was introduced in the system.
Currency
The article was created in 2018 and updated in February 2023 since the
usage of instant messaging has evolved.
Accuracy
The information provided is corresponds with other websites in terms of
usage of Instant messaging in the academic world.
Objectivity
The authors of this site are not being bias, they are being very factual and
present their work in total honesty.
Coverage
This article provides a wide range of understanding of what instant
messaging is and how it affects the academic world.