Social Media Use and Critical Thinking

Academic Insights

Academic Insights
This research studied how university students’ social media use relates to critical thinking and found that the strongest predictor was not social media itself, but students’ competence in learning to learn. Social media functions linked to information use, content creation, and problem solving were associated with stronger learning-to-learn skills and higher critical thinking, yet these effects were limited on their own. For students with lower self-regulation, interaction with friends, family, teachers, or peers through social media supported critical thinking more. For students with stronger learning-to-learn competence, using social media to solve academic problems was more beneficial. The big takeaway is that tools matter less than how thoughtfully students use them.

Apply This Now
Use social media for guided academic tasks rather than assuming casual use builds critical thinking.

Add This in Your Lesson
Create activities where students verify information, discuss ideas, and solve study problems online.

Avoid This Mistake
Do not expect digital platforms alone to improve thinking without self-regulation and clear learning goals.

Keywords
social media, critical thinking, learning to learn, self-regulation, higher education

Reference

Suggested Citation
Excellent Educator. (2026). Social Media Use and Critical Thinking. Excellent Educator, 3(7), p. 5.