Social Media, Youth Mobilization and Urban Crime

Abstract

This paper was focused on exploring the drivers of urban crime through social media mobilization of youths. Adopting the use and gratification theory, the paper x-rays the extent to which social media has been adopted by youths in Nigeria for social participation and activities including the perpetration of crime. In addition to changing the way information is shared, social media also provides a veritable tool for the creation of criminal networks which have proved challenging to effective functionality of justice system in Nigeria. The paper further explores the intersection between poverty, youth violence, drug peddling, and activism on the one hand, and social media utilization. To address the problem of urban crime, the paper suggest that government at all levels should engage in massive employment of youths and provides greater focus on positive utilization of social media.