Over the past decade, electronic applications, particularly social networking applications (SNAs), have been gaining considerable popularity, including among educated young people. The advantages of SNAs are apparent in many sectors, with education being no exception. SNAs are also playing the main role in enhancing the quality of education. The aim of this paper is to explore SNAs use (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube) in higher education students enrolled at Albaha University, Saudi Arabia, focusing on their associated advantages, barriers, and reasons for adoption, as well as differences between the participants with respect to the study variables. The research methodology was a survey approach and the sample size reached 243 students, including 123 males and 120 females. The survey was distributed to students electronically. The results indicate that most students benefit from SNAs, and these resources motivate them to engage with SNAs to enhance their education. Barriers were also identified that must be addressed for effective education. No difference was found between male and female students in terms of benefiting from SNAs, as well as the reasons and barriers, thereby indicating the availability of SNAs for both genders and the flexibility of their use at any time and place, as well as awareness in both genders about their use. A noticeable difference was identified in the extent of the benefits derived from SNAs between participants older and younger than 20 years, and differences were also found in the reasons underpinning these benefits. This reflects a disparity in the use and mastery of SNAs between the two age groups. Students aged 20-25 years also encountered greater barriers to SNAs use compared to students aged younger than 20 years, which may be attributed to the lower familiarity of older students with SNAs.
Key words: Web 2.0 applications, electronic applications, technology-enhanced learning, e-learning, computer-based education.
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