The impact of excessive social media use on secondary school teachers' work productivity in Mfoundi Division, Cameroon

This study investigates the impact of excessive social media use on the work productivity of secondary school teachers in the Mfoundi Division, Cameroon. Recognizing the accelerated integration of digital technologies in education, particularly in the context of developing nations, this research delves into the effects of excessive social, hedonic, and cognitive engagement with social media platforms on teachers' efficiency, engagement, and overall instructional effectiveness. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, the study combined survey data from 315 teachers with qualitative insights derived from in-depth interviews. The findings reveal that while social media offers avenues for professional collaboration and knowledge exchange, its overuse is significantly associated with negative outcomes in crucial areas such as lesson preparation, grading efficiency, classroom management, and the quality of instruction. The paper recommends policy interventions, digital literacy training, structured guidelines, and the promotion of mindfulness practices to optimize social media use among educators and mitigate its detrimental effects.