INFLUENCE OF ACADEMIC INTERACTION
ON FACEBOOK AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF
TECHNOLOGY MINNA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
Facebook was
introduced in early 2004 as a social network site just for Harvard University
students(Zywica & Danowski, 2008 ).By
2005 Facebook allowed students from other schools to register as users and
eventually everybody(Pempek, Yermolayeva, &
Calvert, 2009). Facebook growth has been rapid to the extent that as at
2013, it was estimated to havehad over 22 Million unique strangers with above
15 billion viewed pages(Zywica & Danowski,
2008 ).
Facebook is one of
the world’s most populated social media networks with no less than 400Million
users (Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009).
Students and teenagers constitute a majority of the users, with posting of more
than 1 Million posts such as pictures, chats and messages on a daily basis(Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009).
Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of this site who said that if Facebook were to
be a country, it would have been the eighth most populated country in the world(Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009). The
adoption of Facebook amongst university undergraduates during the mid-2000s was
rapid, leading one media researcher to warn university authorities that
‘Facebook owns your campus’ (Stutzman, 2006).
Researchers are still investigating the reason why Facebook attracts and keeps
the attention it does, especially from among youths/students. It is reported
that students use Facebook practically on daily basis(Facebook Statistics, 2011). Students post contents on Facebook and
also spend much time observing and consuming the contents posted by their
friends(Facebook Statistics, 2011).
As of March 2011,
Facebook reported having 67 million active users (those who have returned to
the site in the last 30 days), with more than half of them returning daily and
spending an average of 20 minutes per day on the website (Facebook Statistics, 2011).Like most social network sites,
Facebook provides a formatted web page into which each user can enter personal
information, including gender, birthday, hometown, political and religious
views, e-mail and physical addresses, relationship status, activities,
interests, favourite music and movies, educational background and a main
personal picture. After completing their profile, users are prompted to
identify others with whom they have a relationship, either by searching for
registered users of Facebook or by requesting their contacts to join Facebook
(usually by e-mail). Once someone is accepted as a “friend,” not only the two
users ‘personal profile but also their entire social networks are disclosed to
each other. This allows each user to traverse networks by clicking through
“friends” profiles, so that one’s social network snowballs rapidly across
people and institutions (Walther, Van Der Heide,
Kim, Westerman, & Tong, 2008). Facebook profiles also include two
types of messaging services. A private system, which is very similar to a
webmail service, and a public system called “The Wall,” where “friends” leave
comments to the owner of the profile that can be viewed by other users.
Usually, “The Wall” contains short messages that reflect sentiments, common
activities between “friends,” or call attention to external websites or events.
To keep users updated about their social circles, Facebook has two features:
“News Feed”, which appears on the homepage of each user, and “Mini-Feed”, which
appears in each individual’s profile. “News Feed” updates a personalized list
of news stories throughout the day generated by the activity of “friends”.
Thus, each time users log in, they get the latest headlines in their social
networks. “Mini-Feed” is similar, except that it is centredon one individual.
Each person’s “Mini-Feed” shows what has changed recently in their profile and
what content or applications they have added. Because individuals can delete
from their own “Mini-Feed” stories they do not like, users retain control of
who gets to read or see what about them. Among the most popular modules users
can incorporate to their profiles is “Facebook Groups,” which allows users to create
and join groups based around common interests and activities. The “Groups”
application displays each individual’s groups as well as groups their “friends”
have joined recently. Thus, an important share of the civic and political and
educational impact of Facebook should occur within groups developed by users
and organizations.
The
Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna is a specialized institution of
learning that focuses on the advancement of the frontiers of knowledge in the
areas of science and technology, hence it is only expected that students of
FUTMinna get conversant with inventions and contraptions aimed at advancing not
only the society but also the University environment. FUTMinna operates two
campuses and faces obvious communication challenges amongst students, some of
who find the use of telecommunication service too expensive compared to the use
of social networks and instant messaging. Hence students of FUTMinna rely on
the use of social networks for day to day communication. Using social networks is an integrated component of the
lives of many students in FUTMinna.What started out as a hobby for some
computer literate people has become a social norm and way of life for people
from all over the world.The youth use social networking sites as a means of
interaction, socializing, and for purely entertainment purposes(Boyd, 2007). These
sites have various effects ontheir life styles especially in their academic
performance, self-development and the duration of their studies (Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009).
Several studies examine the attraction and persuasive character of Facebook and
similar networking sites as well as the reasons that cause people from all
walks of life and age groupsto join this community or similar options (Fogg&Lizawa,
2008). These sites are able to make fundamental modification in social life as
well as interpersonal
and social relations. Researches done on both University and school students
have shown that students use Facebook more for creating relationships and
knowing people than using this site for educational purposes(Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009).The
present study investigatesacademic interaction on Facebook among students in
Federal University of Technology,Minna.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Social media networking is seemingly taking
over the world. One popular social media site is Facebook. University students
are one of the primary demographics using Facebook, with features such as
photos, wall posts, and status updates becoming seemingly irresistible to those
who want to connect with their friends. The University culture loves Facebook,
embraces it and has turned the site into a lifestyle, rather than just a hobby
or a fun pastime. Academic success is a paramount issue to University studentsincluding
those of FUTMinna, with the pressure to belong to social networks. Are students
really meeting up with the pressure to succeed academically?
In
this study, an attempt is made to answer the question:What is the nature of
interaction on Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates?
1.3 Aim
and Objectives of the Study
The
aim of this study is to determine whether academic interaction takes place on
Facebook among undergraduates of FUT Minna. The objectives of the study are as
follows:
1.
To evaluate the proportion of FUTMinna
undergraduates who use Facebook against those who do not use.
2.
To determine the frequency of usage of
Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates
3.
To find out the nature of interaction on
Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates
4.
To identify whether academic interaction
on Facebook takes place among FUTMinna undergraduates.
5.
If yes in objective four above, to
examine the nature of the academic interaction.
1.4 Research Questions
1.
What
is the proportion of FUTMinna undergraduates using Facebook against those not
using?
2.
What
is the frequency of usage of Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates?
3.
What
is the nature of interaction of FUTMinna undergraduates on Facebook?
4.
Is
there any form of academic interaction among undergraduates of FUTMinna on
Facebook
5.
What
is the nature of this interaction?
1.5 Justification
of the Study
This study investigates the extent of
the use of Facebook by FUTMinna undergraduates and determines whetherFUTMinna
students’ interaction on Facebook is academic in nature or not.The findings of
this study, it is hoped, will serve as a great assistance to university
management in creating policies as it concerns students’ use of social media.
The study will also help parents, guardians and students to better understand
the effect of social media use on academics and how best tomanage this
effect.Also, students and lecturers of Information and Media Technology and
other related fields of study will find the outcome of this study as assistance
in their research and general study in the field of social media and academics.
1.6 Delimitation to the Study
The research is limited to
undergraduates of Federal University of Technology Minna.The ideal situation
would have been to study undergraduates in several universities, so as to
ensure a country wide generalization. But limited finances and time constraint
of the researcher did not guarantee adoption of a wider scope. Thus, the
generalization of the findings of this study must be done with caution.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
·
AcademicInteraction: is defined as Facebook discussions
among FUT Minna undergraduates related to current school work, field of study
or any academic discourse.
·
Facebook:
is defined as a social networking website that allows registered users to
create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with
‘friends’.
·
Frequency
of Facebook Use: is defined as
how often a FUT Minna undergraduate visits the Facebookwebsite in a week.
·
Nature
of Facebook Interaction: is
defined as an activity of Facebook FUT Minna undergraduates engage in, E.g.
posting pictures, status updates, chatting etc.
·
Proportion
of Facebook use: refers to how
much of Facebook content FUTMinna undergraduates consume compared to other
social network sites.