Awareness and Use of Social Media by Undergraduates of Selected Universities in a State in Nigeria

doi:10.7176/ikm/12-2-01

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore undergraduates’ awareness and usage of social media. A descriptive survey design was adopted with the use of questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. One thousand, one hundred and ninety-two (1,192) copies of the questionnaire were administered on the students, out of which one thousand, one hundred and eight (1,108) useable copies were retrieved, representing 93% response rate. The data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and means. The results revealed that the respondents were aware of almost all listed social media platforms, with WhatsApp (99%) ranking highest, followed by Email (97.9%) and Twitter (95.3%). The frequently utilised social media platforms were WhatsApp ( = 2.72), Email ( = 2.61) and Facebook ( = 2.50). These platforms were mainly used for group discussions and tutorials with course mates; this gave a mean score of ( = 3.22); for sourcing current materials gave a mean score of ( = 3.21), and checking updates on current research gave a mean score ( = 3.18). The study concluded that social networking is not new to most undergraduates and that they use social media for academic purposes, self-expression and for establishing friendships with fellow students around the globe. It was recommended, among other things, that students should be aware of the fact that overindulgence in social media is addictive and time-wasting; moreover, lecturers should assist students in making more meaningful use of the social media by incorporating it into their academic work. Keywords: Social media, Uses and Gratification Theory, usage of social media, undergraduates DOI: 10.7176/IKM/12-2-01 Publication date: February 28 th 2022

Highlights

IntroductionNew technologies have radically changed the way people communicate (Adebayo 2015 and Balaban-Sali, 2012)
Theoretical Framework and Review of Related Literature As this study is based on the undergraduates’ awareness and usage of social media, the Uses and Gratifications Theory (U&G) of Katz et al 1974 is employed, as it provides a systematic explanation of why people use and access media programmes
The study concludes that the undergraduates in the selected universities in Ogun state have knowledge of social media and they make use of them

Summary

Introduction

New technologies have radically changed the way people communicate (Adebayo 2015 and Balaban-Sali, 2012). With the ubiquity of platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Skype, LinkedIn and the likes, social media is gradually becoming an indispensable part of people’s lives. They are used to communicate, read, comment, share, like, and create contents (Chen and Sakamato, 2013; Ma et al, 2014). These platforms are gaining popularity, and an increasing number of young people (Pempek et al 2009), especially students, comprise the highest percentage of social media users (Lewis, 2009; Sponcil and Gitimu 2013; Yoo and Kim, 2013). Mozee (2012) has outlined the benefits of using the social media to include, encouragement of greater social interaction via electronic platforms; provision of greater access to information and information sources; encouragement of creativity amongst and between individuals and groups; it creates a sense of belonging among users of common social media tools, and they increases the technology competence levels of frequent users

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion