Article

Quantifying the Impact: A Regression Analysis of Digital Media Consumption versus Study Habits on Student Academic Performance 

---

Abstract

In an era of increasing digital integration in students' lives, understanding the interplay between traditional study habits and modern media consumption is critical for educational success. This study investigates the impact of study hours, social media usage, and Netflix consumption on the academic performance of students. Using a synthetic dataset of 1,000 student records designed with realistic behavioral patterns, this research aims to quantify the direction and magnitude of these lifestyle factors on final exam scores. A multiple linear regression model was employed as the primary analytical method. The dataset was partitioned into an 80% training set and a 20% testing set to ensure the model's ability to generalize to new data. The independent variables included study_hours_per_day, social_media_hours, and netflix_hours, with exam_score serving as the continuous dependent variable. The model was evaluated based on its overall significance, the statistical significance of its coefficients, and its predictive accuracy on the test set. The regression model was found to be highly significant (p < .001) and explained 74.1% of the variance in exam scores (R² = 0.741). The results indicate that study_hours_per_day is a strong positive predictor, with each additional hour of study associated with a 9.48-point increase in exam score. Conversely, social_media_hours and netflix_hours were significant negative predictors, associated with a decrease of 2.61 and 2.41 points per hour, respectively. The findings conclude that while digital media consumption has a detrimental association with academic performance, its impact is substantially outweighed by the positive influence of dedicated study time. This research provides quantitative evidence supporting the need for effective time management and self-regulation among students, highlighting the critical importance of balancing digital entertainment with academic responsibilities to achieve educational goals.

Keywords: Academic Performance, Digital Media, Linear Regression, Student Habits, Study Time

How to Cite:

Chen, M. & Tang, L., (2025) “Quantifying the Impact: A Regression Analysis of Digital Media Consumption versus Study Habits on Student Academic Performance ”, Artificial Intelligence in Learning 1(3), 228-244. doi: https://doi.org/10.63913/ail.v1i3.33