PATTERNS OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AMONG FEMALE UNDERGRADUATE MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

This study examined the patterns of social media usage among female undergraduate Mass Communication students in the University of Benin. The research objectives were to examine the level of female UNIBEN Mass Communication undergraduates’ addictiveness to social media, determine the social media network female UNIBEN Mass Communication undergraduates majorly use, find out the importance of Social media platforms to female UNIBEN Mass Communication students and ascertain the pattern of social media usage by female UNIBEN Mass Communication undergraduates. The study was hinged on the Uses and Gratifications theory. The research method was the survey while the research instrument was the questionnaire. Findings from the study showed that There is a high usage of social media by female undergraduate students and that social media is used by female undergraduate students for communication, entertainment, research, etc. Based on the findings it was recommended that female undergraduates should be cautious of their pattern of social media usage and place priority on their academics, or better still the use of social media for academic purpose rather than just for fun and that female undergraduate students should often self-censor themselves as regards the contents they are exposed to on social media as some contents could be detrimental to their mental being