Importance Of Social Media Among Nigerian Youths

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Social media as sources of communication and connection across the world. It tends to improve the psychology of event and motivational traits swings among every socialized individual. This is implemented through communication.

Communication is a basic human need and for that reason, man has always found a means of meeting those needs. The media which is an umbrella term for various means of communication has show case an integral part of human around and across the world. The weakness of not being able to communicate to large audience led to the development of mass media in Nigeria such as writing the earliest forms of personal media, speech and gestures has the benefits of being easy to use and did not necessarily need complex technology.

The development of communication technologies have profound the role of the media in the society has being more significant. Also in relevant to cultural and civilized education. According to “John Dewey” the role of media is for education has opines which “James Ages and Walter” also highlighted the function of the media as a source of trapping information around the globe. Also as a means of entertainment.

However, it’s a form of electronic communication which facilitates interaction based on certain intervals and characteristics. Social media is a medium for social interaction using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media uses water base technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues and social dialogues.

It supports the demo cratization of knowledge and information and transforms people from content consumer of new media and according to “Dammy Shea” in the Huffington post accessed 20th June 2012 have become the highest activity on the internet. The rapid growth of social media activities that has been observed over the last two to three years is in distractive of its entry into main stream culture and its integration on the daily lives of many individuals.

In parallel with this, social media have also gained considerable attention form the academic and business world. The new technology has led the types of media and their ability to use disuse of the communication and connection. Also gratification and crowd sourcing as engagement techniques for human right organization.

Mass media have become part of the society even so much as the fin additional media in all parts of the world. In few years the term “new media” might not be very suitable because these forms are becoming part of out daily lives and the fusion with traditional media could be referred to has alternative media some theories which apply to traditional media might apply to new media as well, humanity has always lived through times of great change. Every age it has passed through has been on beliefs and new technologies, responding to the needs of individuals anxious to adjust to new forms of socialization.

In view of this social media are believed convergence between the social media are belied to be changing how people use the mainstreaming media and roles described to them by their users. Based on this the research is aimed at investigating how the social media are interacting in the traditional one has the possible nurture of influence they have on the media consumer.

1.2 Objectives of the Study

This should intend to:

Examine the importance of social media among Nigerian youths to be able to assist in the smooth usage of newly impacts as well as the social media towards the connectivity in the globe.

The study also creates ideology to explaining existing opportunities in the society by pronouncing the relationship between the mass media and social media. The study also generates observation of he users (mostly youths) of the social media on it prominent activities and official benefits.

1.3 Research Question

For the purpose of this study, the following research questions are formulated.

What is the nature of function (s) ascribed in the social media by Nigeria youths?

What influence dos the advert of social media have on the lives of tough?

Does the social media serves as substitute to the traditional mass media?

How does the social media attract youths to social activities and issues?

What measure should be put in place to ensure responsible usage of social media among Nigerian youths?

What is the nature of communication exchange among the social media users?

1.3 Significance of the Study

Traditional mass media plays more signified roles in the society before the invent of social media. It generates motivational previews of events and its attractiveness to the consumer, so as to stipulate the theme of the story effectively. The use of television, newspaper, magazines and other mass media terms, to help the public in notifying the intent of the government, public and societal opinion in the country.

However, it pictures real cultural. Value to het audience and analyze3 it to the viewer’s perspective in the society. Traditional mass media generates possible dilution of facts and fictions among the government and their subordinates. Also it presents good proximity to informative materials to the user that is the audiences have access to the media without technical contributions, such as community orientation and collectivism.

Obviously, the traditional mass media harness the government policies through democratic processes. Also they create ideology and uniqueness in the conveying news worthy events. The political parties contribute to the society through the mass media also they visualize their activities with the modest of the mass media.

In additional mass media gives room for locally made products advertisement through their medium such as news papers, magazines, radio, and television without any governmental interference. The public is being granted privilege to display their talents and opinion in the vacuum of the mass media within the outreach.

1.4 Scope of the Study

This study’s intent is to clarify the use of social media among the youths of Nigeria in references to the modest of it relevance and the effect of it on the traditional mass media.

However, it focuses specifically on the usage habits of the youths of Nigeria towards social media thus the investigation suggests more moderate effects of the media in generating information form a network of relations and influences and with the individual’s interpretations and evaluation of the information provided within the globes.

In this regard, only the Nigerian youths and students shall be studies leaving the previous access or other members of the society as time constraint may not permit much intensive and comprehensive study on those left out. Also this study will be restricted to Kwara State youth majority the student of tertiary institutions and training centres.

1.5 Statement of the Problem

As it is recognized that there is no life without communication, millions of people who exist, long for all societal information even at times grass root. Mostly one million, seven hundred and fourteen Nigerians are on social network pages, with large numbers of them being youth.

However, there is no comprehensive knowledge of their activities as well as how these forms of media can impact on various aspects of life. The advent of social media reduces the conversant relationship between the mass media and the youths of Nigeria. The study specifically focuses on the usage habits of young Nigerians and how social media has affected their communication and socialization habits social media which develops the level of mass media outreach across the country. It automations deals directly with the users and their sources of raping information’s without any influence of the mass media. It has thus increased the speed of its effort drastically. The future of communication has been predicted to depend to a great degree on electronic modes with the tags! Technological development. Academics, business men of social media of new media generally and abandon the initial modes of tapping, revealing, and encouraging suitable information.

Obviously, the advent of social media attracts many users which limits the effort of the mass media oh the use of their appliances in conveying their information and aborted their ways of notification in the country. It reduces the commitment of the audience to the mass media offers social media gives no rooms for community orientation and convictism among the youths of Nigeria since it audient. Most youths spinal much of their time relative activities on social networks which they derive pleasure in. also limited time is being committed to social networks materials than initiative explorers. This has dervish the interest of the public in the arbitrary things of the country and derived their attention to the foreign developmental efforts.

Thus the use of social media has restricted the sources of generating inane to the mass media. Many years of social media finds it easy to sort from the internet rather than purchasing a print copy of listen to the broadcast stations. The mass media visualized activities are being restrained due to commercial activities that generates income for mass media such as advertisement, public awareness which is now been transferred to the social media services.

1.6 Operational Definition of Terms

For easier understanding and importation of the study, the terms that are technically used in this chapter will be stated below:

i. Traditional Mass Media:

These are diversified media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience at once by mass. Also it is a communication means, whether written, broadcasted or spoken, which is meant to satisfy the audience with rich informative events. Examples are television, newspaper, radio, magazines, “James Ages and Walter Leppman” also highlighted the functions of mass media for entertainment and information.

ii. Technology:

It refers to the making, modification usage and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, and craft for latest advancement in the society. According to “Jonathan Abrams” the creator of friend star concocted a perfect mix of popular features from easier social networking procedures which led to this opinion on technology. He analyzed it as the web blogs, games gadgets, instrumental devices and which brought about advancement across the globe.

iii. Social media:

It refers to the making, modification usage and knowledge of tools which was implemented above to interact among people in which they create share and exchange information. Also “Danny Shea” in the Huffington post defined social media as a means of speeding up access to knowledge and a form of electronic communication which facilitates interaction based on certain interests and characteristics.

iv. Communication:

It is applicable to both social and mass media. It deals with the act of conveying information with the motion of receiving response or reactions.

According to John O Bold win, in 2000 communication is a living strategy that gives the mass and the media ability to evoke paths: invention and discoveries of heralding revolution connectively, communication cycles creates mutual relationship among the world. Also it plays prominent role in the growth and development of the study.