SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AND PROMOTION OF INSECURITY IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study interrogated perception of Nigerians on social media usage and the promotion of insecurity in Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: ascertain the level of exposure of Nigerians to social media; determine the level of trust on social media messages by Nigerians; examine the factors that promote social media insecurity in Nigeria; find out the perception of Nigerians on the contribution of social media messages on insecurity in 12 Nigeria; and highlight the outcomes of social media messages on insecurity in Nigeria. The theories that shaped this work are the technological determinism, media equation and reflective-projective ones. The work used the survey research method to determine the perception of Nigerians on social media usage and promotion of insecurity in Nigeria. Opinions generated in the study covered views of Nigerians who live in the cities of Akure, Awka, Damaturu, Dutse, Lokoja and Yenagoa. The population of the study was 736,375 Nigerians derived from the above cities. The sample size for the study was 600 respondents drawn from these capital cities. The sample size was calculated using the Australian sample size calculator. The study utilised the frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation and Chi square tests. These tests were carried out using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software (version 23). Findings revealed that Nigerians are highly exposed to social media. The results also indicated that Nigerians do not trust social media messages and that lack of social media regulation is responsible for social media insecurity in Nigeria. Another finding indicated that Nigerians have negative perception on the contribution of social media messages on insecurity in Nigeria. Lastly, the study found out that protests, violence, fake news cybercrime, hatred, hacking, mistrust dishonesty and human trafficking are outcomes of social media messages on insecurity. The study concluded that social media have actually contributed to insecurity in Nigeria. It however, recommended among others that there should be policies and legal framework to regulate the negative use of social media in Nigeria.