Use of Social Media by Library and Information Science Students in Universities in Kerala

Abstract

This study investigates the use of social media by the Library and Information Science students in the universities in Kerala. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a representative sample of 132 students. Data were analyzed with Microsoft Excel and SPSS. The analysis revealed that a large majority of the students use social media mainly for the purpose of entertainment. Wikis and social networking sites are the most widely used social media applications by the students. A large majority of the students use WhatsApp and Facebook. They use laptops and mobile phones very frequently to access social media. There is no statistically significant association between the gender and the purpose of use of social media by the students. Majority of the students indicated concerns of privacy and data security. Friend requests from unknown persons is the major issue faced by students. This article attempts to highlight the importance of the use of social media by the Library and Information Science students in the universities in Kerala.