Maseru, Mar. 24 — Technology has recently become a mixed blessing for students in Lesotho, helping them complete schoolwork more easily while also harming their studies due to the misuse of tools such as social media and artificial intelligence.
In an interview with a Grade 8 student from Leqele High School, Vusi Mathule explained that he uses WhatsApp to share notes and discuss lessons with other students, which makes learning easier.
He added that some teachers also use WhatsApp groups to distribute notes and occasionally conduct lessons online.
Mathule noted that while technology is essential for students, it can sometimes be distracting, as he spends too much time on social media platforms, citing TikTok as one of his main sources of entertainment.
‘Maleribe Khathatso, a Grade 10 student from Foloko Raising Christians, revealed that in 2025, failing to balance Facebook and her studies negatively affected her, which eventually caused her to fail Grade 10.
She explained that she spent more time on Facebook than on her schoolwork, which affected her concentration when doing assignments at home and her performance in examinations, as she did not have enough time to complete her schoolwork.
Khathatso advised other students to maintain a balance between using social media platforms and focusing on their studies, warning that spending too much time on these platforms can harm their academic performance.
Ms. ’Mathabeng Paepae, a second-year student at Limkokwing University of Creativity Technology, shared that though AI (Artificial Intelligence) helps students with research and summarizing notes, some rely on it to complete assignments entirely, which often leads to submitting work they do not fully understand and negatively affects their learning and grades.
Ms. Paepae noted that if students use AI to enhance their understanding of course material rather than letting it do all their work, they can excel without any harm.
Meanwhile, one of the lecturers Mrs. ‘Mathobisi Lerata encouraged students to use AI as a tool to guide, check their work, or get ideas, but always make sure they do the research using class materials, textbooks, or other reliable sources and fully understand everything before submitting assignments.
“AI is a powerful tool, but we are seeing cases where students misuse it to ignore studying, which hinders their academic performance,” she said.
Technology can enhance learning if students use it wisely to understand lessons, complete assignments, and succeed in school rather than harming their academic performance.
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