Audience’s Perception of X (Formerly Twitter) Trends as a Tool for the Nigerian Public Sphere

Abstract

Purpose: Unlike how we previously knew it to be, the public sphere has evolved to include digital spaces, making them metamorphose into digital public spheres. These digital spaces are more open, accessible, and void of certain bottlenecks. It is, therefore, now impossible to describe a public sphere without mentioning digital spaces. As such, this study aims to find out the audience's perception of X (formerly Twitter) trends as a tool for the Nigerian public sphere. Materials and Methods: The survey research method was used to obtain responses from 200 respondents, using the purposive sampling technique of selecting only X (formerly Twitter) users. Findings: The findings reveal that most X (formerly Twitter) users often utilise X (formerly Twitter) trends to some extent; X (formerly Twitter) trends influence the content of some users but not the majority of them, even if the majority use the feature. In addition, X (formerly Twitter) Trends highlight significant content for X (formerly Twitter) users in Nigeria. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Some of the recommendations of the study include the following: the government should pay closer attention to relevant public conversations on the X (formerly Twitter) platform to understand people’s take on certain issues and how to help them better; they should also partner with relevant agencies to set up regular digital literacy campaigns to help the public effectively engage with social media content on X (formerly Twitter). Also, stakeholders like X (formerly Twitter) should ensure suitable systems are in place for accurate Trends metrics to avoid misleading users with the wrong Trends or content by some users. In addition, X (formerly Twitter) should develop campaigns and guides to help users better understand how to engage with the Trends feature on X (formerly Twitter).