USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS A CHANNEL OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
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USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AS A CHANNEL OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
Abstract
In this era of information and communication technology, social media, particularly Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, BBM, and 2go, among others, have revolutionised and redefined mass media’s monopoly on news and information, allowing citizens to participate in news gathering and dissemination.
The study investigated the rising tendency of students using social media networks to seek information, with Kaduna State University students serving as a reference point.
Social media has recently transformed citizens into not only information consumers but also information distributors, a phenomenon known as “Citizen Journalism”. Most citizens have their own blog, group, or area on social media where they post news stories.
Others submit their reports to websites specifically established for citizen journalists or to well-known media outlets that accept stories from citizen reporters. The survey research method was employed, and questionnaires were designed as a research tool to elicit data from the selected respondents.
According to the replies received, the majority of students have access to social media and use one or two social media platforms. Students used WhatsApp, BBM, and Facebook more than other social media platforms. As a result, students at Kaduna State University use social media to a considerable degree.
The majority of social media users spend 6-10 hours on the platform. Citizen journalism should be supported by the government and commercial sector to promote ICT growth in the country.
The government should ensure that proprietors of websites and blogs in the country follow the rules against defamation, obscenity, and violation of privacy. This can be accomplished by forming an organisation whose main purpose is to monitor the manifest content of internet contents.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The Internet has transformed the way people interact. Communication and access to information have become easier. The internet is currently used for more than just email communication; it is also a platform for individuals to interact.
Thanks to the internet, it is now conceivable to attend a classroom being taught in another country while sitting in rural Kano, or to provide evidence directly to an international court in real time without having to fly.
Sunitha and Narayan (2010) notice that the internet is now more about blogs, podcasts, Facebook, and Twitter – tools and technologies also known as social networking sites, which are a recent development. Social networking sites are web-based services that enable people to
(1) Create a public or semi-public profile within a constrained system.
(2) provide a list of other users with whom they have a connection, and
(3) examine and navigate their own list of connections as well as those made by others in the system (Boyd and Ellison, 2007).
In Nigeria, social networks are rapidly gaining popularity as both interpersonal and public communication platforms. Social networking sites are modern interactive communication channels that allow people to connect with one another and share ideas, experiences, photographs, messages, and other interesting information.
According to Boyd and Ellison (2007), social networking sites are “web-based services that allow individuals to construct a public or semipublic profile within a bounded system articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.”.(pp.78-100.)
They are interactive networks that information and communication technology (ICT) provides to modern society through the use of the Internet and telecommunication devices.
The Internet allows us to broaden our networks and communicate with people all around the world. The interactive aura of modern media gives them an unprecedented level of popularity. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of social networking sites in such a short period of time is unprecedented in the history of the media industry.
According to Awake (2011), ”social networking has grown tremendously popular. Similarly, radio took 38 years to achieve 50 million users, television 13 years, and the Internet 4 years, yet Facebook gained 200 million users in just 12 months. Social networking sites offer a variety of interactive platforms based on the aims of its creators.
There are several platforms, such as social, political, intellectual, business, sports, romantic, and religious. In other words, social networking sites have the inherent ability to educate, inform, entertain, and inflame their audiences.
According to Onomo (2012), social networking sites have become ”a widespread tool for communication and exchange of ideas, helping individuals and organisations with just causes to reach a phenomenally vast audience that could hitherto not be reached by traditional media. The majority of members of these social networking sites are young people who are still in school.
According to Al-Rahma and Othman (2013), there is no doubt that social media has grown in popularity and usability, and it is now one of the most significant communication platforms for students.
A substantial number of Kenyan youths spend their time online, either on smartphones, desktops, or other mobile devices like iPads and tablets, surfing social networking sites.
Students at all levels of education take advantage of every opportunity to visit social networking sites to check their Facebook status and see what’s trending on Twitter. Teenagers have learned to multitask by switching from one SNS to another. Social media has provided a forum for contact between the young and the elderly.
People utilise social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, 2go, MySpace, and WhatsApp, among others, to form and maintain relationships (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). These social networking services allow users to build personal accounts and communicate with other users of the site.
Users can submit photos, share what they are doing at any given time, and send personal or public comments to anybody they want. In this information era, social media sites appear to be fast rising in popularity, especially among young individuals (Pempek, Yermolayeva, and Calvert, 2008).
Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, and Zickuhr (2010) stated that social networking sites have offered new non-personal avenues for people to engage with one another, and young adults have taken advantage of this technological trend to improve communication.
In recent years, social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and LinkedIn have become the world’s most popular websites, with Facebook leading the way.
Facebook has approximately 90 million active users in 2009, accounting for 85% of the market at US universities and colleges (Hendrix, Chiarella, Hasman, Murphy, & Zafron, 2009).
In 2010, Facebook’s traffic surged by approximately 70% to over 115 million unique visitors. MySpace came in second, but Twitter took off immediately after (Friedman, 2010; Nielsen Market Research, May 4, 2010). Today, Facebook has over 800 million active users.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
There have been several media accounts of Nigerians of all ages becoming victims or perpetrators of an online scam or fraud. They ruin the lives of other Nigerians and foreigners by defrauding them of millions of naira, dollars, pounds sterling, and euros (Gabriel, 2015). According to Gabriel (2015), “Whether they name it 419, Obtaining By Trick, OBT, or Yahoo-Yahoo, the story is the same.
People are exploiting the internet to commit scams that defraud many people of their hard-earned money, destroy businesses, and ruin their lives.” According to studies, many people (email and social media users), particularly youngsters,
have been victims of such frauds, which have had an impact on their life (Button et al.; Ngo-Ye, 2013; Idolor, 2012; Graziolo and Jarvenpaa, 2003; Nikitkov and Bay, 2008). Based on this premise, the researcher seeks to evaluate the impact of students’ increasing usage of social media networks to seek knowledge.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The primary goal of this study is to analyse the impact of the growing trend of students using social media networks to seek information; nevertheless, in order to effectively complete the study, the researcher seeks to meet the following particular objectives:
i) To investigate the impact of social media on the accessibility of information for students.
ii) Investigate whether social media networks serve as a dependable source of information for students.
iii) To investigate the function of social media in boosting academic performance of students.
iv) Determine whether there is a relationship between social media networks and student academic accomplishment.
1.4 Research Hypotheses
To facilitate the successful completion of the study, the researcher developed the following research hypotheses:
H0: social media networks have no effect on students’ access to information in higher education.
H1: social media networks have an impact on the accessibility of information for students of higher learning.
H02: social media networks are not a dependable source of information for students in higher education.
H2: social media networks are a dependable source of information for students in higher education.
1.5 Significance of the Study
It is expected that when the study is completed, the findings will be useful to students in higher education because the study seeks to emphasise the dangers of relying on information published on social networking sites, as well as the benefits to students who use this site as a source of information.
The study will also be beneficial to the owners of this social media network site, as the study will suggest possible ways of improving the quality of information published on the site; the study will be useful to researchers who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic,
as the study will serve as a reference point; and finally, the study will be useful to students, teachers, lecturers, academia, and the general public, as the findings will add to the pool of ex
1.6 Scope and Limitations of the Study
The scope of the study covers the rising trend in the usage of social media networks by students seeking information in Nigerian higher institutions; nevertheless, there were some variables that limited the scope of the study.
a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The researcher has insufficient research material, which limits the investigation.
b) TIME: The study’s time frame does not allow for broader coverage because the researcher must balance other academic activities and examinations with the study.
c) Organisational privacy: Limited access to the chosen auditing firm makes it impossible to obtain all necessary and required information about the activities.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
Social Media
Social media are computer-mediated technologies that enable the development and sharing of information, ideas, professional interests, and other kinds of expression through virtual communities and networks.
Social network
A social networking service is an online platform that people use to develop social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or professional interests, hobbies, backgrounds, or real-life connections.
Information
Information is something which informs. In other words, it is the solution to some type of question.
1.8 Organisation of the Study
This research study is organised into five chapters for simple understanding, as follows:
The first chapter is concerned with the introduction, which includes the (overview of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms, and the study’s historical context.
The second chapter focuses on the theoretical framework that underpins the study, as well as a review of relevant literature. Chapter three discusses the research design and technique used in the study.
Chapter four focuses on data gathering, analysis, and presenting of findings. Chapter 5 provides a summary, conclusion, and suggestions from the study.
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