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Social media use among students of private Universities in Anambra State

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  • Glorious Vision University (Formerly Samuel Adegboyega University),Ogwa, Edo State, Nigeria

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The paper investigates social media use among students of Private Universities in Anambra State, Nigeria. The rationale behind the study is to find out the reasons why the students social media. The specific objectives of the study are: to find out the frequency of students' exposure to social media networks, determine the gratifications they derive from social media, ascertain the most visited social media networks by students and to find out whether exposure to social media has any influence on the academic performance of the students. The study adopts survey research method and uses questionnaire as instrument of data collection. Findings of the study show that students use the social media to satisfy various purposes. Findings further show that the frequency of students' exposure to social media is high. More so, the findings show that Facebook is the most visited social media by the students. Based on the findings, the study therefore concludes that students of Private Universities in Anambra State have various reasons for using social media. The study, therefore, recommends, among others, the utilisation of seminars and workshops by Private University authorities in Anambra State to educate students on how best to use the social media for improved academic development.
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Edegoh, L. O. N. & Asemah, E. S. (2014). Social media use among students of private
Universities in Anambra State, Nigeria. Makurdi Journal of Communication, 5 (1), 40-50.
Social Media Use among Students of Private Universities in Anambra State, Nigeria
Leo O. N. Edegoh, Department of Mass Communication, Anambra State University, Igbariam
Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria. +2348062996196, edegohleo@yahoo.com
Ezekiel S. Asemah, Department of Mass Communication, Kogi State University, Anyigba,
Nigeria. asemahezekiel@yahoo.com. +2348035053713
Abstract
The paper investigates social media use among students of Private
Universities in Anambra State, Nigeria. The rationale behind the study is
to find out the reasons why the students social media. The specific
objectives of the study are: to find out the frequency of students exposure
to social media networks, determine the gratifications they derive from
social media, ascertain the most visited social media networks by students
and to find out whether exposure to social media has any influence on the
academic performance of the students. The study adopts survey research
method and uses questionnaire as instrument of data collection. Findings
of the study show that students use the social media to satisfy various
purposes. Findings further show that the frequency of students’ exposure
to social media is high. More so, the findings show that Facebook is the
most visited social media by the students. Based on the findings, the study
therefore concludes that students of Private Universities in Anambra State
have various reasons for using social media. The study, therefore,
recommends, among others, the utilisation of seminars and workshops by
Private University authorities in Anambra State to educate students on
how best to use the social media for improved academic development.
Keywords: Social media, Media use, Students, Private Universities and Anambra State
Introduction and Justification for the Study
New developments in the technological world have made the internet an innovative way
for individuals and families to communicate. Social media networks have created a phenomenon
on the internet that has gained popularity over the last decade. People use social media sites such
as Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace to create and sustain relationships with others (Boyd Ellison,
2007, cited in Sponcil and Gitimu, 2013). These social media sites let those who use them create
personal profiles, while connecting with other users of the sites. Users can upload photographs,
post what they are doing at any given time, and send personal or public messages to whomever
they choose. In this “information age,” social media sites seem to be growing in popularity
rapidly, especially among young adults (Pempek, Yermolayeva and Calvert, 2008).
Social media have made a profound impact on the 21st century social interaction. Today,
logging into social media has become a necessary societal norm. Virtual communities are
gaining popularity all over the world. Via the social media, people are informed, can make
suggestions or complaints and can vote on local issues using the Internet (Imnasenla, 2012).
Social media have revolutionalised human social interaction to the extent that a very large part
of man’s social existence appears to depend on these media networks. This revolution is too
hard to be ignored. From the rich, developed western world to the developing countries of the
southern hemisphere, social networking platforms have redefined and restructured the nature and
content of social interaction of communication. As Dow (2012) puts it, social media essentially
refer to a category of online media where people are talking, participating, sharing, networking
and bookmarking online. The greatest potential of social media lies in the opportunity they
bequeath to mankind a chance to be engaged and engage others (Ward, 2013). The
expansion in technology has also affected internet software, thus leading to chatting sites known
by the name “social media”. With social networking sites, one can send and receive messages
almost immediately (Asemah, Okpanachi and Edegoh, 2013).
Social media are useful to everyone. Scholars utilise them for research and knowledge
acquisition and promotion. Business people use social networking sites for commercial, business
motives necessarily involving the buying and selling of goods and services. Advertisers utilise
the vast business opportunities provided by online media to advertise goods, services, ideas,
events, etc. Politician market themselves to potential electorates through the social media.
Students login to social platforms in order to seek academic gratification, keep in touch with
friends, chat, and make new friends (Edegoh, Ekanem and Asemah, 2013; Odero, 2003; Shiu
and Dawson, 2004; Mutula, 2003).
There are as many ways of accessing social media as there are social networking sites.
Social platforms could be accessed using cyber café, laptop or other devices. These channels
enable users to login to any of the several social media sites, including, but are not limited to,
Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, Google+, LinkedIn, Ning, Flickr,
StumbleUpon and Reddit (Heatfield, 2013; Odero, 2003; Edegoh, Ekanem and Asemah, 2013).
Utilisation of these social media is expected to bring about significant improvement in
the lives of the users, particularly heavy users; and that heavy usage would translate into better
academic performance among student users. This expectation is yet to be established in Nigeria
among students of privately owned universities.
Social media use has been aggressively embraced by institutions of higher learning in
Nigeria particularly, Federal and State institutions as well as some Private Universities and
polytechnics, among others. Consequently, so many institutions have put in place the
technological and structural facilities necessary for easy access to social networking sites by
both students and staff of their organisations. Students, or their part, have massively adopted the
use of social media because of the several opportunities they present to users. Most studies on
students’ utilisation of online media in Nigeria tend to focus on government owned institutions
or communities/towns (Igboaka and Ha, 2010; Udende and Azeez, 2010; Edegoh, Ekanem and
Asemah; 2013). Consequently, the extent of utilisation of social media among students of
private institutions of learning in Nigeria is largely unknown. Also unknown is the impact of
social networking sites’ usage on the academic performance of this important segment of
students’ population in Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that the study examines social media
use among student of Private Universities in Anambra State, Nigeria.
Objectives of the Study
The study is carried out to investigate the following objectives:
i. To find out the frequency of exposure to social media network by the students of Private
Universities in Anambra State.
ii. To determine what the students of Private Universities in Anambra State use social
media for.
iii. To find out the most frequently visited social medium by students of Private Universities
in Anambra State.
iv. To find out ways through which students of Private Universities in Anambra State access
social media networks.
Research Questions
Based on the objectives of the study, the following research questions are posed to guide
the conduct of the study:
i. What is the frequency of exposure to social media by the students of Private Universities
in Anambra State?
ii. Which social medium is the most frequently visited by students of Private Universities in
Anambra State?
iii. What do the students of Private Universities in Anambra State social media for?
iv. What are the ways through which Private University students in Anambra State access
social media networks?
Theoretical Framework and Review of Related Literature
Social Philosopher, Abraham Kaplan (1964) cited in Edegoh, Asemah and Ude-Akpeh
(2013) opines that a theory is a way of making sense out of a disturbing situation, and Daramola
(2003) defines communication theory as “a set of ideas which provides an explanation for
communication phenomena”. Theories are important in any academic endeavour and this
importance is premised on the fact that theories lend themselves to various texts and analysis
such that the phenomenon central to the research get explained, clarified and even predicted as
the case may be (Asemah 2010, p. 345; Edegoh and Asemah, 2013). Therefore, for better
understanding of the study, two theories of communication have been chosen to provide the
needed framework, namely: the uses and gratifications theory and the technological determinism
theory. The uses and gratifications theory falls within media effects tradition and its bottom line
is that media do not do things to people; rather, people do things with media. The specific
objective of uses and gratifications theory is to explain how individuals use mass
communication to gratify their needs (Burgeon, Hunsaker and Dawson, 1994, pp. 374-375 cited
in Udende and Azeez, 2010, p. 34). The theory explains the positive effect of individual media
use. Baran and Davis (2001) rightly observe that audience members actively seek out the mass
media to satisfy their needs. Thus, Asemah (2011) avers that the uses and gratifications theory
proposes that audience-members use the media to satisfy their needs. These needs include
learning, passing time, companionship, escape from tension, excitement and relaxation. Thus,
the major assumption of the uses and gratifications theory, propounded in 1974 by Elihu Katz,
Jay Blumler and Michael Gurevitch (Anaeto, Onabanjo and Osifeso, 2008, p. 71; Edegoh,
Nwanolue and Eze, 2013) is that people are not just passive receivers of mass media messages
but actively influence the message effects. This is because people selectively choose, attend to,
perceive and retain media messages on the basis of their needs, beliefs, etc. Thus, Anaeto,
Onabanjo and Osifeso (2008, p. 71) rightly assert that there are as many reasons for using the
media as there are media users.
The relevance of the theory is located within the framework that recipients of media
offerings actively influence the effect process: they selectively choose, attend to, perceive and
retain media messages.
Technological determinism theory was formulated by Marshal McLuhan in 1964. The
basic assumption of the theory is that the media are extensions of the human body; it holds that
the media not only alter their environment, but also the very message they convey (Asemah and
Edegoh, 2012). The media bring new perceptual habits while their technologies create new
environments. The theory asserts that technology decisively shapes how individuals think, feel
and act and how societies organise themselves and operate.
The relevance of the theory to the study cannot be over emphasised. The technology of
social media have altered our environment to the extent that people can now easily share ideas,
photos, videos, likes and dislikes, and have offered humanity a chance to be engaged and engage
others (Ward, 2013). This opportunity did not exist some decades ago. Users of social media are
provided with opportunity to connect and be connected to by the social media technology.
Social media are defined as internet mediated human systems that are based on the
framework of web 2.0 and web 2.0 is the software that accounts for all social interactions and
exchange between and among individuals, organisation or communities via the web or internet
(Dominick, 2009). Social network can also be referred to as a map of specified ties, such as
friendship, between the nodes being studied. The nodes, to which an individual is thus
connected, are the social contacts of that individual; the network can also be used to measure
social capital the value that an individual gets from the social network. Social networking sites
include: Yahoo Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Blackberry Messenger (BBM), Google talk,
Google+Messenger, iPhone, Androids and so on (Asemah, Okpanachi and Edegoh, 2013).
Social media are online media that expedite conversation as opposed to traditional media
(newspaper, magazine, television and radio) which deliver content, but do not allow
readers/viewers/listeners to participate in the creation or development of the content (Ward,
2012).
Similarly, Haenlein (2010, p. 61), cited in Asemah, Illah and Edegoh (2013) defines
social media as a group of internet-based applications that build on the ideological and
technological foundations of web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated
content. Thus, social media guarantee greater interactive conversation between and among users.
Nwammuo (2013, p.4) fully aligns herself to this line of thinking; according to her, social media
refer to web and mobile-based technologies which are used to turn communication into
interactive dialogue among individuals, organisation and communities. This also informs Dow’s
(2012) observation that social media essentially refer to a category of online media where people
are talking, participating sharing, networking, and bookmarking online. Social media make it
possible for people to generate and publish content as well as engage in online interaction.
Heathfield (2013) rightly avers that social media are the tools and platforms that people use to
publish content and interact socially online. According to the author, user generated content
includes conversation, articles, images or pictures, recipes and anything that an individual might
share with others in their daily lives. Thus, as Nwammuo (2013) observes, the concept of social
media therefore finds meaning in the ability of users to generate, interpret, restructure and
disseminate content. The writer further asserts that the idea enables users to create and share
experiences, information or ideas based on the pervasive technology of the internet and the
World Wide Web (www).
Social media are the various online platforms that are used for social interaction. They
use highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques and include the various online
technology tools that enable people to communicate easily via the internet to share information
and resources (Greendhow, 2009). According to Boyd and Ellison cited in Nwammuo (2013,
p.4), social media primarily allow individuals to:
Construct a semi-public profile within a broad system;
Articulate a list of other users with whom they share a common connection; and
View and to traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the
system.
There are several types of social media, ranging from social sharing sites such as
YouTube and Flickr through social networks such as Linkedln and Facebook. Ward (2013)
identifies the unique importance of the social media thus:
Social media has shot to the forefront of people’s
attention because it’s fun. Thanks to social media,
it’s easy to share your ideas, photos, videos, likes
and dislikes with the world at large and find out
what they think of them. You can find friends,
business contract and become part of a community
or a bunch of different communities. Social media
gives you what TV never could a chance to be
engaged and engage others.
Thousands of social media networks exist and they appeal to various groups for so many
reasons. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) classify social media into six categories, namely:
collaborative projects (Wikipedia); Blogs and Microblogs (Twitter, etc.); content communities
(YouTube, etc.); social networking sites (Facebook, etc.); visual game worlds (world of wear
craft, etc.); and visual social worlds (second life, etc.). These social media forms use
technologies such as blogs, picture sharing, V-logs; wall posting, e-mails, instant messaging,
music-sharing, crowd sourcing and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) (McAfee, 2010;
Nwammuo, 2013, p.5).
The most popular web-based social media include Linkedln, Facebook, Twitter, Ning,
Flickr, Google, StumbleUpon and Reddit (Edegoh, Ekanem and Asemah, 2013). These social
networks increasingly provide a platform for recruiting employees, servicing customers,
professional networking, personal and professional branding and marketing products and
services. Heathfield (2013) chronicles and discusses these popular social media as follows:
i. Linkedln - This is the professional site for professional networking, group discussion,
publishing content and advertising jobs.
ii. Facebook This platform started out as a site for sharing pictures and charting among
college students, but has evolved into a significant platform for businesses. Facebook
provides a way for families and friends to stay in touch and share their daily lives and
pictures. It also allows you to create business pages that are separate from your personal
page.
iii. Twitter This is a platform where in 140 characters or less, people share their thoughts,
share recommended reading, signal business that they need product help, and advertise
jobs.
iv. Ning This medium allows users to build and maintain their own social networking
sites.
v. Flickr This site allows users to easily post pictures and share.
vi. Google+ - This networking site recently arrived with a flourish, and once the option of
business pages is added, will rival Facebook for participants. This is because on
Facebook you have one list of friends with whom you share but Google comes with
innovation of circles. You can add different people to different circles and decide what
and how much you want to share with the people in each circle.
Ogene (2012) says that social media have given rise to a new way of life and to
essentially new voices through interpersonal communication channels. These new voices which
began as innocuous interpersonal communication channels have, following increased access to
the internet and other computer devices that support social networking, grown into global sites
for news dissemination. Social media are popular among young people (particularly students)
and middle-aged men and women. These categories of people and many others take advantage
of the online global environments created by social media technologies and features for
interaction and exchange of information. Thus, social media now provide people that were
previously voiceless the opportunity to engage others and be engaged in online social
communication of global magnitude. Benefiting more from these online platforms are students
particularly in tertiary institutions.
New media to a large extent are socially constructed phenomena and often deviate
substantially from the designer’s original intent. The implication of this is that the newness of
the media is crystallised around the idea of people’s usage. The existence of new media has
created new horizons for the ways people communicate with others. People adopt these new
media and embed them into their everyday activities; consequently, these new media become
part of their social context, social practices and more importantly, part of their social space
which play a role in creating new communication potentials and constructing new social ties
(Baghdady in Pecora, Osei-Hwere and Carlson, 2008, cited in Asemah and Edegoh, 2012). The
new media, according to Asemah, Ekhareafo and Olaniran (2013) have brought significant
advancement into the realm of human interactions and one thing that appears certain is that its
uses are not without a cost.
According to Lenhart, Purcell, Smith and Zickuhr (2010), cited in Sponcil and Gitimu
(2013), about 57% of social network users are 18-29 years old and have a personal profile on
multiple social media websites. In a study by Pempek, Yermolayeva, and Calvert (2009), the
amount of time spent daily on social network sites varied greatly. Students spent an average of
47 minutes a day on Facebook. More than 50% of college students go on a social networking
site several times a day (Sheldon, 2008, cited in Sponcil and Gitimu, 2013). Quan-Haase and
Young (2010), cited in Sponcil and Gitimu, 2013) found that 82% of college students reported
logging into Facebook several times a day. Younger students tended to use Facebook more
frequently than older students to keep in touch with friends from high school or from their
hometown (Pempek et al., 2009, cited in Sponcil and Gitimu, 2013). When internet technology
has surged in popularity, it is reasonable to be curious about its impact on human face-to-face
communication. Baym, Zhang and Lin (2004), cited in Sponcil and Gitimu, 2013) found that the
quality and quantity of interactions in other media were not threatened by social internet sites.
Online social interaction is only part of the total multimedia social relationship, not an entity in
itself. Local social relationships are most likely to use face-to-face contacts and least likely to
use the internet. Long distance relationships are maintained with the internet about as often as
with the telephone. Internet interactions were perceived as high in quality and only slightly
lower than face-to-face conversations and telephone calls.
Studies conducted on internet use have identified three types of uses, namely: (1)
Instrumental use, (2) recreational use, and (3) Social use (Boase, Chen, Wellman and Prijateli
2002; Chen, Boase and Wellman, 2002 both cited in Igboaka and Ha, 2010, p.22). Examples of
instrumental use of the internet were given from public access points in Sweden where the
majority use the internet for job hunting, business, tax calculations, administrative activities, and
contacting the government. Recreational use of the internet involves using it for entertainment
such as playing games. Example of Social use entails using the internet to keep in touch with
relatives and friends.
Shiu and Dawson (2004) conducted a multinational survey of internet users in the U.K.,
Germany, Japan and Taiwan and found that teenagers use the internet more for communication
and gaming, while older people use it for purchasing goods and service. On the African front,
Mutula (2003) conducted a study on internet use and found that students use internet cafes
mostly for educational purposes and business people use the internet cafes mostly for business
and electronic money transfers. In his 2003 study, Odero (2003) found that postgraduate
students in Pretoria, South Africa used internet cafes more often for educational purposes and
undergraduate students used it to chat, listen to music, and for other forms of entertainment.
Studies conducted in Nigeria on internet use tend to yield similar findings. Igboaka and
Ha (2010) studied internet use in Ihiala, a rural Nigerian village. They found that internet users
are mostly highly educated and that both students and business people use the internet for
economic development purposes. Edegoh, Ekanem and Asemah (2013) conducted a study on
Facebook utilisation by students of Anambra State University. They found that students were
heavy users of Facebook and that the gratifications they derive from using Facebook included
chatting, information seeking and for academic purposes. Thus, a review of studies on internet
use clearly reveals how students, youths and users of the internet utilise the different platforms
that are made available by the internet.
Some challenges and issues appear to be associated with obscuring use of social media
and networking sites. Such challenges and issues were reported by higher education students and
social media policy makers at higher education institutions, including moral and social concerns.
The study of Cain, Scott, and Akers, cited in Hussain, Gulrez and Tahirkheli (2012) affirmed the
enhanced usage of Facebook by pharmacy students with low understanding of the issues related
with e-professionalism. A common conflict as noted by Hussain, Gulrez and Tahirkheli (2012)
appears even among faculty and students over using social media and networking sites as one
third of the students were not of the conviction that their faculty should be present on Facebook
at all because of some moral issues. Using social media one can comment and respond openly to
a message/ post.
Methodology
Survey is adopted in this study. Survey research method focuses on people, the vital facts
of people; their beliefs, opinions, attitudes, motivations and behaviour (Asemah, Gujbawu
Ekhareafo and Okpanachi, 2012, p.109 cited in Edegoh and Asogwa, 2013). Questionnaire was
used for data generation. The population of the study consists of all the students of Private
Universities in Anambra State, namely: Paul’s University, Awka, Madonna University Okija
and Tansian University, Umunya (Oba Campus). A sample size of 600 students, 200 from each
institution was considered adequate to represent the population of study. Purposive sampling
technique was adopted in questionnaire distribution and simple percentage method as well as
frequency tables were used for data analysis.
Presentation of Findings
Table 1: Return rate of questionnaire
Item
Frequency
Percentage
Returned and found usable
582
97
Not usable
10
1.7
Not returned
8
1.3
Total
600
100
Table one shows that the return rate of questionnaire is 97% (n=582) while the mortality
rate is 3% (n=18). The return rate is higher than the mortality rate. The mortality rate of 3% does
not affect the study because it is insignificant compared to the return rate of 97%. Thus, the
copies were considered adequate to represent the population. The presentation and analysis of
data obtained from the questionnaire was based on the five hundred and eight-two (582) copies
that were returned and found usable.
Research Question One
What is the frequency of exposure to social media by the students of Private Universities in
Anambra State?
Table 2: Frequency of students’ exposure to social media
Response
Frequency
Percentage
Very often
150
26
Often
292
50
Rarely
102
17.5
Don’t know
38
6.5
Total
582
100
Table two shows the frequency of exposure to social media by students in Private
Universities in Anambra State. Twenty-six percent of the students (n=150) expose themselves
very often to social media, 50% of the respondents (n=292) often expose themselves to social
media while 17.5% (n=102) rarely expose themselves to social media. However, 6.5% of those
sampled (n=38) showed lack of knowledge of the question. The implication of data on table two
is that the frequency of students’ exposure to social media is high, that is, students often expose
themselves to social media.
Research Question Two
Which social medium is the most visited by students of Private Universities in Anambra State?
Table 3: Students’ most visited social media sites
Response
Frequency
Percentage
Myspace
41
7
Twitter
35
6
Facebook
291
50
Wikipedia
150
26
YouTube
53
9
Others
12
2
Total
582
100
Data on table three reveals the most visited social media sites by students of Private
Universities in Anambra State. As could be gleaned from data on table three, Facebook was the
most visited social media. Fifty percent of the respondents (n=291) attested to this. Wikipedia
followed Facebook with 26% (n=150) and 7% (n=41) respondents visit Myspace often. Nine
percent of the respondents (n=53) said that their most visited social medium is YouTube and 6%
(n=35) stated that they visited Twitter often while 2% (n=12) respondents visited other social
media such as Nairaland and second life. The import of the data on students’ most visited social
media sites is that students mostly visit Facebook and Wikipedia.
Research Question Three
What do the students of Private Universities in Anambra State use social media for?
Table 4: Gratifications respondents derive from exposure to social media platforms
Response
Frequency
Percentage
Academic/Education purposes
150
26
Social marketing
6
1
Entertainment
291
50
Keeping away from boredom
15
2
Getting information
120
21
Total
582
100
Table four reveals the gratifications that respondents derive from using social media
platforms. Twenty-six respondents (n=150) derive academic/educational gratifications, 1%
(n=6) derive social marketing gratifications and 2% (n=15) utilise social media as a way of
keeping away from boredom. Other gratifications that users of social media derive from using
the platforms include entertainment (50% or n=291) and information acquisition (21% or
n=120). Data on table four bears testimony to the fact that majority of the students of Private
Universities in Anambra state use social media networking sites for entertainment,
academic/educational purposes and as a platform for seeking information.
Research Question Four
What are the ways through which students of Private Universities in Anambra State access
social media networks?
Table 5: Ways through which students access social media networks
Response
Frequency
Percentage
Cyber café
200
34
PC/Laptop
75
13
Hand-held devices/Phone
301
52
Others
6
1
Total
582
100
Table five highlights the ways through which students of Private Universities in
Anambra State access social media networks. Majority of the students (52% or n=301) access
social media through hand-held devices like phone, 34% of the respondents utilise cybercafé to
access social media, 13% (or n=75) depend on their personal computers/laptops to access the
platforms and 1% (or n=6) respondents use other sources in accessing the social media. The
implication of data on table five is that the major ways through which students access social
media are phone (usually hand-held), cyber café and PC/Laptop.
Discussion of Findings
Findings of the study are as interesting as they are revealing. First and foremost, the study found
that the frequency of students’ exposure to social media is high. This means that students often
expose themselves to social media. This confirms that students are heavy users of social media
networking sites (Udende and Azeez, 2010; Edegoh, Ekanem and Asemah, 2013). Similarly,
Lenhart, Purcell, Smith and Zickuhr (2010) found that 72% of all college students have a social
media profile with 45% of college students using a social media site at least once a day. Many of
these young adults use social media networks to communicate with family, friends, and even
strangers. Social media sites have created new and non-personal ways for people to interact with
others and young adults have taken advantage of this technological trend. The purpose of this
study was to examine how social media affects college student’s communication with others and
how their own self-concept.
Findings of the study also revealed that the most visited social media by students of
Private Universities in Anambra State were Facebook and wikipedia (in the main), and
YouTube, Myspace and Twitter (to some extent). This is in line with the findings of earlier
studies and submissions of scholars of social media (Edegoh, Ekanem and Asemah, 2013;
Nwammuo, 2013). The study further found that the gratifications that students derived from
exposure to social media include chatting, academic and educational gratifications as well as
information seeking, among others. This funding is in tandem with what Shiu and Dawson
(2004) found in their study. Specifically, they found that teenagers use the internet more for
communication and gaming, while older people use it for purchasing of goods and services.
Similarly, the finding confirms that undergraduate students use internet to chat, listen to music
and other forms of entertainment (Odero, 2003; Mutula, 2003). This finding also reinforces the
cardinal idea of the uses and gratifications theory which we have reviewed in this study. The
theory, in summary suggests that people seek media information because they have specific
needs they want to gratify by so doing.
The study further found that the major ways through which respondents (students) access
social networking sites are through handheld devices/phone, cyber café and PC/laptop. Many
students embrace the use of their computer enabled cell phones to access the internet and use
cyber café as alternative. The reason for this is not far fetched. The high level of power failure
in the land and the tendency of cyber café operators to hike service charges while using
generator sets is part of the reasons. The low economic state of most students could not allow
them purchase and own laptop computer. Also cyber café outfits are few and cannot adequately
cater for the teaming number of students that want to make use of them (Udende and Azeez,
2010).
Finally the study found that exposure to social media positively influences students’
academic performance. Although majority students use social networking more regularly for
other purposes such as chatting, social marketing, making and keeping in touch with friend, etc.
many others feel that their exposure to online media has actually improved their academic
performance. Students login to social media to find information that could help them do their
assignments, projects, etc, and for their overall academic wellbeing (Udende and Azeez, 2010;
Odero, 2003; Mutula, 2003).
Conclusion and Recommendations
The study set out to investigate social media use among students of private universities
in Anambra State. The main purpose of the study is to find out whether the heavy use of social
media by students translates into improved academic performance. Contrary to expectations, the
study found that more number of students access social media regularly for other purposes than
academic; they login to social platforms for chatting (mainly). Notwithstanding, the study, as
expected, found that students that are heavy users of the online platforms for academic purposes
are better off academically than those that use social media for non-academic purposes. We,
therefore, conclude that heavy use of social networking sites for academic reasons engenders
better academic performance in students. Based on the findings and conclusion, the paper
recommends that:
i. Private University authorities should organise seminars and workshop to educate the
students on proper way to use social media for better academic results.
ii. Private University authorities in Anambra State should provide a pool of computer
systems and ensure unlimited access to the internet by their students as it is obtainable in
the Western World.
iii. Government should, as a matter of urgency, address the reoccurring problem of power
failure in Nigeria. This is because utilisation of social media cannot be effective with
epileptic power supply.
iv. Government should address the level of poverty in the land with a view to empowering
students to own and maintain personal computers and application enabled- mobile
phones for access to online platforms.
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