International Conference on Internet Studies, September 8-10, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MALAYSIA Adam Mahamat Helou Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia alhellou2000@yahoo.fr Nor Zairah Ab.Rahim Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia nzairah@utm.my ABSTRACT Social networking sites (SNS) have created a new social dimension where individuals can develop increased levels of their social awareness by keeping in touch with old friends, making new friends, dispense new data or product, and getting information in many more aspects of everyday lives, making one to become more knowledgeable which is very beneficial especially for students. The purpose of this research is to obtain students perceptions on how their use of social networking sites influence their academic performance. A preliminary survey was conducted to a group of student from a Malaysian university to gather initial findings on their use of social networking sites and the influence towards their academic performance. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used in analyzing the data collected. Findings from this study confirm that majority of the respondents agreed that social networking sites have a positive impact on their academic performance. Keywords: Social Networking Sites, Academic performance, Malaysia. 1. INTRODUCTION The Internet is more than just a means of seeking information. People discovered that the Internet could be used to connect with other people, whether for business or commercial purpose, make new friends, reawaken old friends and long lost relatives. The emergence of social networking sites (SNSs) simplify the whole process as majority of them are free to use, they are easier to use and navigate, because it does not require advanced knowledge and experience of the internet and are made up of a wide array of different formats and topics; this means that just about anyone can connect. Currently, there are hundreds of SNSs that can draw millions of people, with diverse technological affordances. Nearly all sites enable persons to avail pre-existing connections and initiate friendships between strangers. With a rush in the number of people who use or have access to the Internet, SNSs are a must for the Internet community to stay in touch with each other. There are SNSs that have a specific focus. This focus may be on a particular