INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LEARNING OF SOCIAL ISSUES AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title page

Approval page

Dedication

Acknowledgment

Abstract

Table of content

CHAPETR ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION 

1.1        Background of the study

1.2        Statement of problem

1.3        Objective of the study

1.4        Research Hypotheses

1.5        Significance of the study

1.6        Scope and limitation of the study

1.7       Definition of terms

1.8       Organization of the study

CHAPETR TWO

2.0   LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPETR THREE

3.0        Research methodology

3.1    sources of data collection

3.3        Population of the study

3.4        Sampling and sampling distribution

3.5        Validation of research instrument

3.6        Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Introductions

4.2 Data analysis

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Summary

5.3 Conclusion

5.4 Recommendation

Appendix

Abstract

For most people, social networking sites are harmful, distractive platforms which have caused a great deal of moral decadence among our students. It has shifted the eyes of the young teenagers from studies to all other vices, thus, causing the paucity of academic quality among young people in Nigeria; for others, it is the entertaining form of engagement, which has become almost compulsory among the teenage students in Nigeria. The main objective of this study is to examine whether there is a significant relationship between the use of social media among undergraduate  student of university of Ilorin and their academic performance. A survey research method was used to determine the above relationship, using standard questions drawn up to cover the objective of the study.

                                        CHAPTER ONE

                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Every human being has needs which range from basic to higher. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, man, among his basic needs has the need to belong to a group, love and be loved (Amogu 2008). This made communication a basic human need and for that reason; man has always found a means of meeting this need either through interpersonal or mass communication. Unlike in the past, the people of the world are today living in a global village because of various breakthroughs in information technology. According to a Canadian Professor of English Marshall McLuhan, “the world is now a global village where the whole world is now compressed into a single electronic chat room”. Katz (2009) states that information that usually takes many days or weeks to disseminate now takes seconds or minutes. It is now possible for people to make interpersonal communication with others to get desired information as quickly as possible from other areas of the country or from other countries through the use of social media without leaving their immediate environment. The growth of technology towards the end of the 20th century propelled by the emergence of the internet, satellite, etc led to what is called Social Media. While social network is the term in this present world which means the encompassing of the emergence of digital, computerized or networked interactive information channel. Social media has emerged as a term frequently used and variously defined as different types of communication platforms and electronic ways of interacting. For the purpose of this research, the definition of social media developed by Bryer and Zavatarro will be utilized. According to Bryer and Zavatarro (2011), social media is “the technologies that facilitate social interaction, make possible collaboration, and enable deliberations across stakeholders”. Going by this definition, social media includes such tools as electronic blogs, adio/video tools like YouTube, internet and chat rooms, cellular and computer texting, and social networking sites (SNSs). Rosen in his study in 2011 found out that in terms of daily use of all social media collectively, those born between 1965 and 1979 (Generation X) consumes approximately 13 hours of social media per day; those born between 1980 and 1989 (Net Generation) consumes approximately 19 hours of social media per day; and those born between 1990 and 1999 (I Generation) consumes approximately 20 hours of social media per day. Just as the term social media has obtained a fairly broad meaning, the term social networking sites (SNSs) generally refers to internet-based locations that allow individuals and groups to interact. Social networking Sites (SNSs) specifically refer to those internet-based services that promote online social interaction between two or more persons within a bounded system for the purpose of friendship, meeting other persons and/or exchanging information; contains a functionality that lets users create public or semi-public personal profile pages that contain information of their own choice; serves as a mechanism to communicate with other users; and contains mechanisms that allow users to search for other users according to some specific criteria (Zwart, Lindsay, Henderson, & Phillips, 2011; Boyd. & Ellison, 2007). Sites such as facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Tweeter are good examples of Social Network Sites (SNSs) that meet the previously stated criteria. Internet use overall, and the use of social networking sites in particular, have grown significantly since 2000 with some estimates of nearly 78% of Nigerian adults using the internet regularly; 46% of Nigerian – 18 and above use social networking sites; and 65% of teens age 12 to 17 using online social network (Pew 2009). In terms of membership and daily usage, more recent estimates show facebook as having over 750 million users worldwide; LinkedIn over 100 million members; Twiter having over 177million tweets per day; and Youtube having over 3 billion viewers each day (Chen &Bryer 2012). It is becoming clear that the Social Networking sites such as Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, Whatsup and Facebook have become widespread amongst the students of the tertiary institution across the globe; it is so because of the charming of their features. Facebook is the most widely held social networking website amid the others. A social media network is only an electronic links amongst its users which turned out to be an habit for students, youngsters, and even the grown person. The influence of social media on students is alarming. Social media is uses mobile and web based technology to make vastly collaborating platforms in which people in a community share, co-create, discuss and modifies user’s generated content (Kietzmannn, 2012). The Internet is a very huge network; it can be regarded as the network of all networks. Networking is a set-up that links lots of computers together worldwide, creating a network that computers can communicate with each other. Andrew (2005) opined that the internet is a global highway for information decimation; it is the international collection of computer networks. Cybercrime in our contemporary society is one of the words frequently used by individuals. To understand the true meaning of cybercrime, there is the need to understand the slit meaning of cyber and crime. The term “cyber” is a prefix used to describe an idea as part of the computer and information age and “crime” can be described as any activity that contravenes legal procedure mostly performed by individuals with a criminal motive. Cybercrime is defined as offence that is committed against individual or group of individuals with a criminal motive to intentionally harm the reputation of the victim or cause physical or mental harm to the victim directly or indirectly, using modern telecommunication networks such as internet and mobile phones (Haider & Jaishankar, 2011). The reason for increase in cybercrime is not farfetched owning to the fact that they gain easy access to android phones, tablets, computers, internet and network facilities. Such crimes may threaten a nation’s security and financial health (Saul, 2007). Cybercrime can simply be explained as crimes carried out with the aid of a computer system. The internet has offered a lot of platforms for useful research purposes; however, cybercrime is a worldwide problem that is costing countries billions of dollars. In Nigeria, cybercrimes seem to be perpetrated by people of all ages ranging from young to old, but in most recent instances the young appear to be the worst offenders. Akpan (2016) reported that cybercrime has put the Nigerian students in a serious quest for money other than the real deal of getting university education. Several youth engage in cybercrime with the aim of emerging as the best hacker, or as a profit making venture since the tools for hacking in our modern world has become affordable by many. Ngozi (2016) submitted that the rate at which Nigerian youths are involving in one form of cybercrime or the other calls for urgent concern.  The internet has a countless benefit on the life of student. It helps in every aspect s of his/her life. Generally, students are supposed to give much attention to their education than the social media.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The fundamental purpose of university education is the preparation of students for the future. Graduates of today and tomorrow are to flourish in the modern, fast-paced, high-tech world and as such, must have information seeking capacity and technology skills. These students must be information and technology literate. The means of acquiring this literacy must be embedded in learning programmes and be part of students educational experience. However, few undergraduates in universities and other higher institutions of learning in Nigeria may be aware of the cybercrimes carried out with the aid of a computer system otherwise called cybercrime, while very many may be unaware. Some of them may have been involved and even master-mind such a crime. Cybercrime appears to be a common practice among some Nigerians especially undergraduates including those who live in Ilorin. Such practice is associated with some obvious problems. The victims of cybercrime usually the gullible, go through serious pains (emotional/psychological) as they are duped of their hard earned money by fraudsters, who may even be their own children/relatives. There are cases of death by suicide arising from cybercrime as a result of social media as a major source of information. This is especially when victims think that all their lives have been taken away as a result of colossal lost in their money and investment. Sometimes perpetrators are caught and arrested, tried in courts and jailed for life. Sometimes parents of the victims caught die because they are not able to withstand the shame and trauma arising from their children/wards involvement in cybercrime. Moreover, the prevalence of cybercrime gives a country a bad image in the comity of nations. It also may threaten a nation’s security and financial health. Students are now taking pleasure in defrauding public and private organizations as well as their fellow students at the expense of their academic pursuit. If this anomaly is not given urgent attention and remediation, our higher institution will become a place where criminals are groomed in order to defraud the school management and the society at large. This study is therefore set out to find out the influence of social media on learning of social issues among undergraduate student in university of Ilorin.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to examine the influence of social media on learning of social issues among undergraduates in university of Ilorin; but to aid the completion of the study, the researcher intends to achieve the following specific objectives;

1. i) To examine the influence of social media on student involvement on social issues in Nigerian universities
2. ii) To examine the relationship between social media usage and student involvement in cybercrime

iii) To examine the relationship between social media usage and student academic performance

1. iv) To examine the role of social networking site on student dwindling academic performance

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher to aid the completion of the study:

H₀: there is no significant relationship between social media usage and student involvement in cybercrime.

H₁: there is a significant relationship between social media usage and student involvement in cybercrime.

H₀: there is no significant relationship between social media usage and student academic performance

H₂: there is a significant relationship between social media usage and student academic performance

1.5 SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great importance to the management of economic and financial crime commission (EFCC) as the recommendation made in the study will help in policy formation and strategies to clamp down internet fraudsters among undergraduate students, the study will also be useful to undergraduate student as the study seek to explore the benefit of social media to student, the study will also be of importance to researchers who intend to embark on a study in a similar topic as the study will serve as a reference point to further research. Finally, the study will be useful to students, teachers, lecturers and the general public as the findings of the study will contribute to knowledge and also add to the pool of existing literature on the subject matter.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study covers the influence of social media on learning of social issues among undergraduate students in university of Ilorin. But in the cause of the study, there are some factors that limited the scope of the study;

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) Finance: Limited Access to the required financed was a major constrain to the scope of the study.

1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Social media

Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks.

Social issues

A social cause is a problem that influences a considerable number of individuals within a society. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual’s control, and is the source of a conflicting opinion on the grounds of what is perceived as a morally just personal life or societal order

Cybercrime

Cybercrime, or computer-oriented crime, is a crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target

Undergraduate student

Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and prior to post-graduate education. It typically includes all the academic programs up to the level of a bachelor’s degree

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK

For the purpose of easy understanding, this research is categorized into five chapters.

Chapter one, which is essentially introductory includes background, statement, objectives, hypothesis, significance, scope/limitations of the study, organization of the work and finally, definition of terms.

Chapter two, comprises of literature review. This involves reviewing what other authors have said about the subject matter performances and influence in the economy.

Chapter three, will cover the research method and procedure, population and sample, source of data collection, method of data collection, description of instrument used, returned questionnaire and finally on that not method of data analysis.

Chapter four, in every research data presentation and analysis are very important if hypothesis are to be tested. This is very critical chapter because its observation and findings will prove or disapprove hypothesis.

Finally, chapter five is devoted towards conclusion and recommendations, whereby conclusion will be generated on whether the hypothesis is true or false, accepted or null it will also suggests solution to the problem earlier stated based on its findings.

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