Impact Of Mass Media On Social, Political And Cultural Life

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Mass media is the means of communication used to reach large numbers of people in a short time. A message can be communicated to a mass audience by many means, they are: Weekly and daily newspapers, Magazines, billboards, Radio and television. Radio is the sense of sound whereas television and motion pictures appeal both to the visual and auditory senses.

According to Dennis and Defleur, “Mass media can be described as devices for moving messages across distance or time to accomplish mass communication”.

The term “Mass” is a reference to a large numbers of people while anything that transfers information from its source to the receiver is considered as a medium. That is the reason why mass media is described by Crystal in the Cambridge Encyclopedia as:-

“The means of producing and disseminating news, information and entertainment to a universal audience typically through the press (Newspapers, Magazines, Cinemas, Radios, Television and even Paperback Publishing).
It is not an understatement that social networking has enormously influenced and changed today‘s society.

Relationships in the society, the workplace, as well as in educational institutions have been re-defined and shaped so much that individuals can even share their everyday life with whomever they wish with the simple click of the computer key. If social networking is used properly, it is greatly productive in helping an individual and business grow and become successful (Kweena, 2011). Mass media has revolutionized the way people interact, the way they communicate, and even the way they think (Weisgerber and Butler, 2010). It has become a mainstream activity and a major mode of communication especially for youths who form about 50% of the world population on Facebook (internet world stats, 2015). Mass media has moved from being just an interactive platform to a form of mass movement in the media. It has been predicted as a strong force in shaping public opinion especially on issues of politics, socialization, sexuality and professionalism (Idakwo, 2011: 23).

With the advent of the Internet, people are now enjoying the benefits of high technology driven mass media, which is not only faster than the conventional mass media, but also has a wide range. Mobile phones, computers, and Internet are often referred to as the ―new-age media‖ (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). The Internet has opened up several new opportunities for mass communication which include e-mail, websites, podcasts, e-forums, e-books, blogging, Internet TV, and many others which are becoming the rave of the moment. The Internet has also enabled social networking sites which have redefined mass communication altogether. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have made communication with the masses all the more entertaining, interesting, and easier (Manohar, 2010). The rise of mass media sites on the internet has gained popularity over the last decades. The sites have attracted millions of users worldwide (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). Mass media is about a configuration of individuals, brought together often by interpersonal means, such as friendship, common interest, or ideas (Coyle and Vanghu, 2008). It builds strong foundations for relationships and creates unity amongst people in every aspect of human endeavours.

Advancement in the internet technology with particular reference to the evolution of social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, 2go, Whatsapp and Myspace have aided this social advantage.

Social networking sites (SNSs) have entered people‘s daily life with amazing rapidity to become an important social platform for computer-mediated communication (Correa et al., 2010).

The social network approach holds that the behaviour of an individual is affected by the kinds of relations or technical ties, more than by the norms and attributes which an individual possesses. The social, informational or material resources that two individuals exchange characterize their ties. Because of the increasing use of mass media, individual social interaction with friends, families, and professional contacts have transformed from offline realm into online entity.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Problem may occur on social, political and cultural life of the people where the information disseminated by the mass media is not well understood. Problems may also occur where the information is injurious to the masses, have negative impact on the people or passes bias information and disrepute or defame the masses. Use of technology for social purposes has become the mainstream communication method for many people in recent years (Boyd and Ellison, 2007). Due to the increasing popularity of mass media networking, personal-social interactions with friends and families, and professionally-related contacts have transformed itself majorly from the offline situation i.e. face-to-face contacts into an online realm (Gallion, 2010). Nigeria, with the population of 167 million people (2006 Census), 125 million mobile telephone subscribers and 56 million internet users, has been described as the biggest internet and mobile market in Africa (NCC, 2013). This mass appeal of mass media on the internet could be a cause for concern, particularly considering the increasing amount of time youths spend on social networking sites. A study conducted by Edward (2009) reveal that an average teenager in Zaria Metropolis spends between 1 and 2 hours online per day, while a study by Onyeka et al. (2013) reveal that youths in Adamawa State spend an average of four hours per day on social networking sites.

Dau (2015)in a study show that an average student in northern Nigeria spends 3-5 hours out of 7 hours per day on mass media. With these facts of number of hours spent by youths on social networking sites in Nigeria, it becomes academically and socially imperative to find out what gratification or rather, gains these youths achieve from the number of hours spent online. This is what this study sets out to empirically examine using students of the Department of Mass Communication at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the University of Jos, Plateau State. By this, the study will reveal the differences and similarities of the uses and gratifications derived from mass media by students of the two universities,.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Research

The aim of this study is to find out the uses and kinds of gratifications users obtain from the
Social Networking Site (SNS).

Specifically, the objectives are:

To determine the behaviour of the masses to the media.

To ascertain the preference of social networking sites among students.

To determine the amount of time spent on Social Networking Sites (SNS)

To ascertain the gratification derived from use of Social Network sites.

To reveal the differences and similarities between students of the two universities in the uses and gratifications obtained from Mass media.

To reveal the differences and similarities between the male and female students in the uses and gratifications obtained from Mass media.

 

1.4 Research Questions

The research questions for this study are:

What the behaviour of the masses to the media.?

Which social networking site is the predominant preference of the students?

What is the duration of time spent on social networking sites by the students daily?

What gratification do the students get from engaging in social networking?

What are the differences and similarities between students of the two universities in the uses and gratifications obtained from the Mass media?

What are the differences and similarities between the male and female students in the uses and gratifications obtained from Mass media?

 

1.5 Significance of the Study

The significance of this study can be found in the knowledge gaps it fill by first revealing the uses and gratifications derived by the students of the two universities under study. The result of this will be of immense benefits to the students themselves who will be better informed of their activities online and the consequences and implications, which will serve as a check that will help, remove the negatives and strengthen the positives that will emanate from the result of the study. Secondly, the result of this study will help the management of the two universities to have concrete evidence of their student‘s online behaviour which will help determine the type of guidance intervention needed to help their students concentrate more on their studies which forms the basic reason of their academic quests. It will also be of help to other students who are not of these two universities.

1.6 Scope of the Study

This study investigates the uses and gratification of undergraduate students of the Departments of Mass Communication in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the University of Jos. The reason for this is because of time constrain and financial implications.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

The population for this work consist of mass communication students of the two universities which cannot be generalized for the entire students of the two universities.

1.8 Definition of Key Terms

The following are key terms used in the research work:

Gratification:

In the context of this study gratification is the satisfactions derive from the use of mass media.

Mass Media:

In relation to this study, mass media means forms of electronic communication which facilitate interaction based on certain interests. Mass media include web and mobile technology.

Social Networking Sites (SNS):

The use of internet to send messages and make information about yourself available to other people especially people you share an interest with (mass media).

Usage or Engagement:

In this study, means the frequency of going in to mass media, length of time spent in mass media, and the activities the mass media is put into.