The Importance Of Social Media Among Nigerian Youths (PDF/DOC)
Social media is a medium for social interaction using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. 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. This study is aimed at investigating the influence of social media on the use of traditional mass media among the youths of Nigeria. The study focuses specifically on the usage habits of the youth of Nigeria towards social media so 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. It has been able to confirm that most Nigerian youth social media for socialization purpose other than consistency with the mass media. There is an existing positiverelartionship7 between social networking services and the youth who use it than the media. Therefore, this study concludes that social media has been predicted as a strong force in shaping public opinion especially in issues of polities, social causes and sociality.
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.
Summary, Recommendation and Conclusion
5.1 Summary
This study was aimed at the investigating the influence of social media on the use of traditional mass media among Nigerian youth. It is presented in five chapters which chapter one deals with the introduction background. This introduction background gives detail presentation of social media as sources of communication and connection across the world, the development of communication technology that lead to it advent and the purpose of the traditional mass media before it advent. The chapter further looks at the media (both social and traditional mass media) and their components in their respective made. Such as the means of envying information through the media and the audience in their various categories.
Although, both media serve communication purpose but differ in their activities. According to “John Dewey” the role of media is for education he op7ines while “James Ages and Walter” also highlighted the function of the media as a source of trapping information around the world. Also as means of entertainment. Many youth has rejected the use of traditional mass media for social media due to the technological benefit derived from the social media and it interactive trait. It is this chapter that the entire counter claims whether social media influences the use of other media and it highly and scalable publishing techniques.
However, the scop7e and limitation of this study also briefly stated as well as various key terms used in the course of this research work were also examined.
Chapter two of this research works on the other hand in an in-depth review of literature relevant to the study. Specifically, it treats various theories of media at whole and the relationship that exist between the social media and the traditional mass media. It gives detail on the characteristics of social media attached with various theories such as the uses of gratification theory and all other relating to social media and it component.
More so, chapter two further ferret into various theoretical assumptions of social media effects, relationship and various theories such as the users and gratification. Social media theory, marshal theory of globalization, and also his concept of acoustic space so as to notice the relevance of distinction between the social media and the traditional mass media. These researches have been fruitful in understanding answers behaviours based on motivations evidence from various researches.
In addition to the comp7oent of literature review, various form of social media benefit that enhances the interest of the youth to the social media was also discussed.
Chapter three of this research work explains the research methodology and procedure which includes; design of the study, study p7op7ualtion, samp7le size and sampling techniques, instrument for data collection and instrument as well as data analysis techniques. Attached with the questionnaire that precedes the next chapter.
The four chapter analyzes the data collected form 200 respondents from the sample size of the study. In other to guide the study, questions were posed and the analyzed data were use to answer the research questions.
The fifth chapter concluded based on the outcome of result of the data analyzed at the fourth chapter which shows that the researcher hypthesis/questions are valid to the research top7ic that is social media actually influence the use of traditional mass media among youth of Nigerian.
However, it was concluded that the influence of social media on the use of traditional mass media was positive. Many users of social media h as deprive mass media of their social right from the youth. Technologies are used to enable social relationship and serves as interactive means that tends to widen the circle of relationship. This has been suggested to limit the socialization benefits of social media.
Recommendations were also made regarding the maximum benefits from this form of media; for social media numerous sources of information sites are available. But youths of Nigerian should use these media to promote their talent and generate resourceful benefit other than mere socialized activities.
5.2 Recommendation
This study has been able to expose various insights into the uses of social media by Nigerian youth and also, other issues that many arise. Therefore, the following recommendation has been made for obtaining maximum benefits from this form of media; for social media users. This is a need for facebook and all other networking sites users to ensure they understand why they are joining the social media site in the first place so that they would not be overcome by any negative impacts but rather they can use these sets for maximum benefit young Nigerian users.
Nigerian youth’s needs to also make efficient use of such media sites for other benefits such as education or business and also to create applications so that they can participate as full producers rather than consumers who only create contents from a limited point of view. They should also make good use of converged media so that they are not limited to one of few sources of information when there are numerous sources.
Young Nigerian should also ensure they maintain their existing relationship while creating value even though these form of social media are available. They should also use these media to promote their talent, interest and causes since they are available at little or no cost. Another future tool social networking website could use would be a licensing agreement with certain parties to prevent copyright infringement from happening on the internet. It is important to bridge the digital divide between the young and old to allow the best use of these media.
Parents and guidance needs to understand the use of these form of media and, if possible, attempt to use them, and try to be involved. This is because the use of social media by youth is worrisome to some parents who are not sure ofhte reasons the youth use these media. Various ways of achieving this can be through the use of social media in delivery news, education, in small business management and other. To other researcher:
Researcher should conduct surveys that will trigger the student to talk about such personal issue like social identify.
Other researcher can explore the role of social media as a measure of the role it p7alys in politics.
Also, they can conduct studies which will compare the way social media is used in various part of the country.
However, researchers can also study the impact of social media in marketing and advertising in a developing country like Nigeria.
5.3 Conclusion
This study has been able to confirm that most Nigerian youth social media for socialization purpose other than consistency with the mass media. This study is based on the uses and gratification theory which says that media consumers use media for various purposes based in their goals and needs. Students use social networking to suffice their social needs life interactions. They are motivated and goals oriented to preserve their self-confidence. They use it to get in touch with some of their friends and relations, to discover and established new relationship and at the same time to achieve their social belonging ness.
Traditional mass media which is the print and broadcast media cannot satisfy the actual needs of the youths in term of their major interest to social activities, other that conveying recent occupation of events. Therefore, this study concludes that there is an existing positiverelartionship7 between the social networking services and the youth who use it than the media. The habitats and attitudes formed according to their aspiration were evidence that they have gratification from using the social networking sites. Its serve as their prostheses. It enhances their interpersonal skills through frequent communication and expression, it p7reservesthe pre-existing cultural ideologies on society.
Obviously, they intend to interact with different people and shows characters, social belonging ness has one of the motives and achievements of the students as they use those social networking sites. This is also corroborated by the low number of people who expressed privacy concerns or any form negative influence or impacts.
However, it is evident that the ability to use this site as they choose, gives them the active power to decide what to do with the sits. The other dimensions to this are the issues or reliance on social media for communication and how this might increase in the near future. Another issue, that course from this is the lower number of youths who use academic social media. It would appear that the goals and needs of young users are based mainly on socialization.
Key Finding From Literature Review
Social media have become a worldwide phenomenon and various parts of the world have responded to it as most people will to any kind of development. Social media has become a main stream activity and has become a major mode of communication especially for youth, who form about 50% of the world population on social media. Social media has moved form being jut interactive to a form of mass media. Therefore, there have been attempts to extend to social media, those theories that applies to mass media.
Social media has been predicted as a strong force in shaping public opinion especially in issues of polities, social causes and sociality. Social media has also been and expression of the complexities between the media and society. This stems from the fact that much of social media is user generated content. Although there have been a great amount of reception of the social media, a lot of it is met with suspicion especially regarding issues of privately and security.
Many of the researches carried out an internet media have explored the uses and gratification theory. Those researches have been fruitful in understanding consumer behaviours based on motivations evidence from various researches shows that social networking sites are used to support and maintain existing relationship, not to create new ones. Many uses of social media site and social networking on those sites has deprive mass media of their social right form the youth. Technologies are used to enable social relationship and serves as interactive means which tends to widen the circle of relationship. This has been suggested to limit the socialization benefits of social media.
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