ABSTRACT
The influence of social media was examined and how
it affects the usage of traditional mass media among youths. Also its effect on
communication and socialization habit. Further more, the media relationship
with its immediate audience, suggests that media weaken or delimit the audience
capacity to act autonomously.
This
study considers the uses and gratification theory whose emphasis on the
audience is active in reception of the media. Also it suggests no passitivity
within the audience. This study combines both quantitative and qualitative
methods of revealing the empirical data at the interpreted conclusion . 200
questionnaires were administered toward this study. Selected youths of Kwara state
polytechnics were contacted to ascertain how they often make use of social
media. Also it set to understand their attitude toward the social media and its
impact on their lifestyle. The research work was intended to consider the
influence of social media on the use of traditional mass media among youths of
Nigeria. It however recommended that this study was able to expose various
insight into the uses of social media by Nigerian youths. Also government
policies should be employed so as to regulate any negative impact and enhance
maximum benefits of the social media to the youths and the society.
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1: analysis
of respondents gender
Table
2: analysis
of respondents age range
Table
3: analysis
of respondents marital status
Table
4: analysis
of respondents education
qualification
Table
5: analysis
of respondents occupation
Table
6: analysis
of respondents number of years of familiarity
Table
7: analysis
of functions ascribed to social
media by
Nigerian youths
Table
8: analysis
of the influence of social media
on the lifestyle
of Nigerian youths
Table
9: analysis of the
respondents view on social media as substitute for traditional media
Table
11: analysis
of the social media mode of attraction to the youths on social issues
Table
12: analysis of the
respondents view towards
government
policy to avert abuse usage
Table
13: analysis of the nature of
communication
exchange among social media users
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title
page
i
Certification ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgment iv-vi
Abstract
vii
List
of table
viii
Table
of content ix-xii
CHAPER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study 1-5
1.2 Research objectives 5-6
1.3 Research questions 6-7
1.4 Significance of the study 7-9
1.5 Scope of the study 9-10
1.6 Statement of the problem 10-13
1.7 Operational definition of terms 13-15
1.8
References 16
CHAPTER TWO
LITRATURE
REVIEW
2.1 Mass media and the society 17-18
2.2 Social media
19-22
2.3Relationship
between mass and social media 23-24
2.4 Differences between social and mass media 25-27
2.5
Effect of social media on youth 27-29
2.6
Uses of social media 29-31
THEORETICAL FRAME WORK
2.7 Social media theory 31-33
2.8 The emergence of social media 33-37
2.9Uses
and gratification theory 37-40
2.10 Marshall MCLuhan’s theory of globalization 40-43
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
AND PROCEDURES
3.1 Introduction 44-46
3.2 Population of the study 46-47
3.3 Instrumentation 48-49
3.4 Validity and reliability of instrument 49
3.5 Data analysis procedure 49-50
3.6 Data collected benefit 50-51
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT PRESENTATION
4.1 Introduction
52
4.2 Analysis of data 52-65
4.3 Summary of the finding 66
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATION
AND CONCLUSION.
5.1 Summary
67-71
5.2 Recommendations 71-74
5.3 Conclusion 74-76
Reference 77-78
Appendix I 79
Appendix ii 80-84
CHAPTER
ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Social
media as sources of communication and connection across the world. It tends to
improve the psychology of human being. It helps to ensure that the update 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 had been show case as 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 to educate.
“James Ages and Walter” also highlighted the function of the media as a source
of trapping information around the globe and 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 democratization
of knowledge and information and transforms people from content consumer to
content producers. social media are element o of new media and according to
“Dammy Shea” in the Huffington post accessed 20th June 2012 social
media 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
as 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 diverse forms of the media in relation to the world
demanding means 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 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 our daily lives and the
fusion with traditional media could be referred to has alternative media some
theories which applicable to traditional media might be 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, there is ever-continuing convergence between the social media
which are believed to be changing how people use the mainstreaming media and
roles ascribed to them by their users. Based on this the research is aimed at
investigating how the social media are interacting with the traditional ones and
the possible nurture of influence they have on the media consumer.
1.2 OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
This study intends 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.
i.
What is the nature of function (s)
ascribed in the social media by Nigeria
youths?
ii.
What influence dos the advent of social media
have on the lives of youths?
iii.
Does the social media serves as
substitute to the traditional mass media?
iv.
How does the social media attract youths
to social activities and issues?
v.
What measure should be put in place to
ensure responsible usage of social media among Nigerian youths?
vi.
What is the nature of communication
exchange among the social media users?
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Traditional
mass media play more significant roles in the society before the advent 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, has helped the public in notifying the intent of the government, public
and societal opinion in the country.
However,
it pictures real cultural Value to the audience and analyzes 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 users that is, 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
addition, mass media give 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.
1.5 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 studied leaving the previous access of 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.
1.6 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 the 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 communication activities among masses as demoted the
level of mass media outreach across the country. It automations deals directly
with the users and their sources of tapping 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 had 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 on 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 collectivism among the youths of Nigeria since it advent. Most
youths spend much of their time relax activities on social networks which they
derive pleasure in. Also limited time is being committed to social networks
materials than initiative explorers. This has changed the interest of the
public in the arbitrary things of the country and shifted their attention to
the foreign developmental efforts.
Thus
the use of social media has restricted the sources of generating fame to the
mass media. Many users of social media find it easy to sort from the internet
rather than purchasing a print copy or 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.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
For
easier understanding and impartation of the study, the terms that are
technically used in this chapter are as defined 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 Leppmann” 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.
Login To Comment