Gen-Z Tertiary Students' Perspectives on Social Media's Influence in Shaping Their Reading Competence

Gen-Z tertiary students benefit from social media in shaping their reading competence, a crucial skill for academic success. This qualitative study examined their perspectives on social media’s influence on reading abilities in English texts. Using an interpretative phenomenological design, data were collected from eight purposively selected participants through a validated interview guide and analyzed using Smith’s method. Findings revealed a dual impact, captured in the theme “Balancing Perspectives: Two-Fold Impact of Social Media on Reading Competence.” While social media enhances engagement and language learning, it also causes distractions and reduced attention spans. Future research should integrate triangulation for deeper insights.