Keywords
Capacity Support
Cultural Awareness
Social Interaction
Saudi Universities
How to Cite
Abstract
The study aims to clarify the role of social networking sites in supporting the capabilities of Saudi university students through increasing cultural awareness and social interaction among them, determining the justifications for Saudi university students to use social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and assessing the degree of impact of social networks on interaction. The questionnaire method was used to collect data, and the sample size was determined by equitable distribution of 450 individuals, with 418 valid responses obtained for analysis. The study reached several results, the most important of which are: there is a positive and strong link between the role of social networking sites and the enhancement of students' capabilities in the universities under study, particularly in increasing cultural awareness and social interaction. It has been proven that social media allows community issues to be raised for discussion, such as educational, health, and other societal matters, with their effects on individuals, groups, and societies varying between positive and negative. The study recommended the continuous improvement of networks, computers, and software to enhance working conditions in the universities under study. It also emphasized raising the efficiency of the university’s infrastructure through updates to laboratories, servers, websites, and educational platforms, while providing training programs using social media as a means of receiving information, and increasing the speed and capacity of the Internet.
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