Smartphones As A Tool For Gathering And Sharing News Among Students In Rivers State University

This study was carried out on smartphones as a tool for gathering and sharing news among students in Rivers State University as a case study. The survey design was adopted and the simple random sampling techniques were employed in this study. The population size comprised of Rivers State University Student. In determining the sample size, the researcher conveniently selected 160 respondents and 141 were validated. Self-constructed and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected and validated questionnaires were analyzed using frequency tables, while the hypotheses were tested using chi-square statistical tool. The result of the findings reveals that the extent to which students uses smartphones for news viewership/readership is high. The study also revealed that smartphones helps students in gathering authentic news. Further findings showed that smartphones usage promotes news sharing among students. Therefore, it is recommended that universities in Nigeria should encourage the use of technological gadgets in the likes of smartphones among students, so as to be technologically abreast in this information and communication technology world. To mention but a few.

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Today, the social networking through online resources is not a new concept. The creation of the World Wide Web emerged as an extensive online activity developing many groups and communities. These online communities are considered as the ancestor of social net-working sites developed over the past decade. Social media is "a group of Internet-based applications or "inter-active platforms" which allows the creation and exchanges of the con-tent generated by the users". There is a rapid growth in these networking sites and complexities are decreasing day by day resulting in more friendly applications for the young and older individuals(Maya, 2015). Social media is one of the most influential tools originating versatile information. It includes the online technology permitting people to communicate easily through the internet and to share the resources. Different philosophies of learning regarding social networks have been emphasized in literature including the motivation through social connections, teaching by collaboration, and improvement in learning by immediate and frequent feedback and engagement. The "social constructivism theory" based on the description that interaction and socialization can help students to learn and construct their knowledge and personal learning processes, explains the use of social media for educational activities. Social media facilitates the participative learning and acts as a set of constructivist tools to teaching and learning (Livingstone 2018).Teaching in the 21st century is considered as a very ex-citing activity because of the resources, collaboration, and opportunities. Social media is an economical and best possible tool for the global collaborations. It has been estimated that nearly 80% of the young individuals have an account on a social networking sites. It is considered as a fundamental par t of the life of many young persons. It has revealed the talents of young generation and provides the relevant opportunities on a single click. The Students can share problems, issues and get back several recommendations from the online peers and teachers.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While technology offers several benefits, in the wrong hands, it may become harmful. For students, it is an attempt to do what feels good or interesting to them and their pals while evading parental supervision. According to Livingstone (2018), youths embrace the online realm enthusiastically because it represents their space, visible to their peer group rather than adult surveillance, and an exciting yet relatively safe opportunity to engage in the social psychological task of adolescence - to construct, experiment with, and present a reflexive project of the self in a social context - as well as for flouting communicative norms and engaging in other risk-taking behaviors.
According to Obi, Bulus, Adamu, & Sala"at (2015), students" addiction to social networks, their frequency of exposure to social networks, the social media networks to which students are more exposed, and the influence of social media as a medium of interaction between students have all been discussed in recent years and have had an effect on their academic performance. Instead of reading their books, youths waste their time conversing and establishing friends on social media, which may have an effect on their academic performance, as there is no way to achieve well academically without reading. It is not uncommon to observe a student conversing in very sensitive and structured spaces such as a church, mosque, or lecture setting. Some are so carried away that they continue to converse even as they go down the high path (Maya, 2015).

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine smartphones as a tool for gathering and sharing news among students in Rivers State University.

Specifically this study seeks to:

Determine the extent for which students uses smartphones for news viewership/readership.

Determine whether smartphones helps students in news sourcing.

Ascertain whether smartphones helps students in gathering authentic news.

Determine whether the smartphones usage promotes news sharing among students.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

To what extent does students use smartphones for news viewership/readership?

Does smartphones help students in news sourcing?

Does smartphones help students in gathering authentic news?

Does smartphones usage promote news sharing among students?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will validate this study:

H0: Smartphones does not promote news gathering and sharing among students.

Ha: Smartphones does not promote news gathering and sharing among students.

1.6 Significance of the Study

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the educational sector as the study will help them evaluate their professionalism in comparism with news reported on the social media like the twitter handle Facebook Instagram etc. the study will also be of important to the ministry of information and communication, as the study seek to bring to the limelight the benefit of true journalism and reporting that is not doctored. The study will also be useful to researchers who intend to embark on research in similar topic, Finally the findings of this study will also be immense benefit to government, academia, scholars, researchers and the general public.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on smartphones as a tool for gathering and sharing news among students in Rivers State University. In the course of this study, the respondents will be obtained from mass communication students in Rivers State University.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. However, the researcher were able to manage these just to ensure the success of this study.

Moreover, the case study method utilized in the study posed some challenges to the investigator including the possibility of biases and poor judgment of issues. However, the investigator relied on respect for the general principles of procedures, justice, fairness, objectivity in observation and recording, and weighing of evidence to overcome the challenges.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Social Media:

Social media are computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. The variety of stand-alone and built-in social media services currently available introduces challenges of definition; however, there are some common features.

News:

News is information about current events. Journalists provide news through many different media, based on word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, and also on their own testimony, as witnesses of relevant events.

1.10 Organization of the Studies

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study, sample size determination, sample size, and selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.

ummary, Conclusions and Recommendations:

5.1 Introduction

This chapter summarizes the findings to examine smartphones as a tool for gathering and sharing news among students in Rivers State University as a case study. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.

5.2 Summary of the Study

In this study, our focus was to examine smartphones as a tool for gathering and sharing news among students in Rivers State University as a case study. The study specifically was aimed to determine the extent for which students uses smartphones for news viewership/readership, determine whether smartphones helps students in news sourcing, ascertain whether smartphones helps students in gathering authentic news, and determine whether the smartphones usage promotes news sharing among students.

The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 141 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents are students in Rivers State University.

5.3 Conclusions

Based on the findings of this study, the researcher made the following conclusion.

The extent to which students uses smartphones for news viewership/readership is high.

Smartphones helps students in news sourcing.

Smartphones helps students in gathering authentic news.

Smartphones usage promotes news sharing among students.

5.4 Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proffered.

Universities in Nigeria should encourage the use of technological gadgets in the likes of smartphones among students, so as to be technologically abreast in this information and communication technology world.

Symposium and seminars should further be organised for students in other to further intimate the undergraduates on the optimum use of the smartphone to get the best of journalism off it, and also encourage the appropriate use of the relevant functions of smartphones as storage for an important document is found to be the least usage of smartphone.

Chapter One:

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Objective of the Study

1.4 Research Questions

1.5 Research Hypothesis

1.6 Significance of the Study

1.7 Scope of the Study

1.8 Limitation of the Study

1.9 Definition of Terms

1.10 Organization of the Study

Chapter Two:

Review of Literature

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.2 Theoretical Framework

2.3 Empirical Review

Chapter Three:

Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population of the Study

3.3 Sample Size Determination

3.4 Sample Size Selection Technique and Procedure

3.5 Research Instrument and Administration

3.6 Method of Data Collection

3.7 Method of Data Analysis

3.8 Validity of the Study

3.9 Reliability of the Study

3.10 Ethical Consideration

Chapter Four:

Data Presentation and Analysis

4.1 Data Presentation

4.2 Analysis of Data

4.3 Answering Research Questions

4.4 Test of Hypotheses

4.5 Discussion of Findings

Chapter Five:

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendation

5.4 Suggestion for Further Studies

References

APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

• Smartphones As Tools For News Gathering Among Journalists

• Mass Communication Project Topics and Materials