CHAPTER
ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Social
media as sources of communication and connection across the world. It tends to
improve the psychology of human being. It helps to ensure that the update of event
and motivational traits swings among every socialized individual. This is
implemented through communication.
Communication
is a basic human need and for that reason, man has always found a means of
meeting those needs. The media which is an umbrella term for various means of
communication had been show case as an integral part of human around and across
the world. The weakness of not being able to communicate to large audience led
to the development of mass media in such as writing the
earliest forms of personal media, speech and gestures has the benefits of being
easy to use and did not necessarily need complex technology.
The
development of communication technologies have profound the role of the media
in the society has being more significant. Also in relevant to cultural and
civilized education. According to “John Dewey” the role of media is to educate.
“James Ages and Walter” also highlighted the function of the media as a source
of trapping information around the globe and as a means of entertainment.
However,
it’s a form of electronic communication which facilitates interaction based on
certain intervals and characteristics. Social media is a medium for social
interaction using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social
media uses water base technologies to transform and broadcast media monologues
and social dialogues.
It supports the
democratization of knowledge and information and transforms people from content
consumer to content producers. social media are element o of new media and
according to “Dammy Shea” in the Huffington post accessed 20th June
2012 social media have become the highest activity on the internet. The rapid
growth of social media activities that has been observed over the last two to
three years as in distractive of its entry into main stream culture and its
integration on the daily lives of many individuals.
In
parallel with this, social media have also gained considerable attention form
the academic and business world. The new technology has led the types of media
and their ability to use diverse forms of the media in relation to the world
demanding means of the communication and connection. Also gratification and
crowd sourcing as engagement techniques for human right organization.
Mass
media have become part of the society even so much as the additional media in
all parts of the world. In few years the term “new media” might not be very
suitable because these forms are becoming part of our daily lives and the
fusion with traditional media could be referred to has alternative media some
theories which applicable to traditional media might be apply to new media as
well, humanity has always lived through times of great change. Every age it has
passed through has been on beliefs and new technologies, responding to the
needs of individuals anxious to adjust to new forms of socialization.
In
view of this, there is ever-continuing convergence between the social media
which are believed to be changing how people use the mainstreaming media and
roles ascribed to them by their users. Based on this the research is aimed at
investigating how the social media are interacting with the traditional ones and
the possible nurture of influence they have on the media consumer.
1.2 OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
This
study intends to:
examine the importance of social
media among Nigerian youths to be able to assist in the smooth usage of newly
impacts as well as the social media towards the connectivity in the globe.
The
study also creates ideology to explaining existing opportunities in the society
by pronouncing the relationship between the mass media and social media. The
study also generates observation of he users (mostly youths) of the social
media on it prominent activities and official benefits.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION
For
the purpose of this study, the following research questions are formulated.
i.
What is the nature of
function (s) ascribed in the social media by youths?
ii.
What influence dos the
advent of social media have on the lives of youths?
iii.
Does the social media
serves as substitute to the traditional mass media?
iv.
How does the social
media attract youths to social activities and issues?
v.
What measure should be
put in place to ensure responsible usage of social media among Nigerian youths?
vi.
What is the nature of
communication exchange among the social media users?
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Traditional
mass media play more significant roles in the society before the advent of
social media. It generates motivational previews of events and its
attractiveness to the consumer, so as to stipulate the theme of the story
effectively. The use of television, newspaper, magazines and other mass media
terms, has helped the public in notifying the intent of the government, public
and societal opinion in the country.
However,
it pictures real cultural Value to the audience and analyzes it to the viewer’s
perspective in the society. Traditional mass media generates possible dilution
of facts and fictions among the government and their subordinates. Also it
presents good proximity to informative materials to the users that is, audiences have access to the media without
technical contributions, such as community orientation and collectivism.
Obviously,
the traditional mass media harness the government policies through democratic
processes. Also they create ideology and uniqueness in the conveying news
worthy events. The political parties contribute to the society through the mass
media also they visualize their activities with the modest of the mass media.
In
addition, mass media give room for locally made products advertisement through
their medium such as news papers, magazines, radio, and television without any
governmental interference. The public is being granted privilege to display
their talents and opinion in the vacuum of the mass media within the outreach.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This
study’s intent is to clarify the use of social media among the youths of in
references to the modest of it relevance and the effect of it on the
traditional mass media.
However,
it focuses specifically on the usage habits of the youths of towards
social media thus the investigation suggests more moderate effects of the media
in generating information form a network of relations and influences and with
the individual’s interpretations and evaluation of the information provided
within the globes.
In
this regard, only the Nigerian youths and students shall be studied leaving the previous access of other members
of the society as time constraint may not permit much intensive and
comprehensive study on those left out. Also this study will be restricted to
youth majority the student of tertiary institutions and training centres.
1.6 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As
it is recognized that there is no life without communication, millions of
people who exist, long for all societal information even at times the grass
root. Mostly one million, seven hundred and fourteen Nigerians are on social
network pages, with large numbers of them being youth.
However,
there is no comprehensive knowledge of their activities as well as how these
forms of media can impact on various aspects of life. The advent of social
media reduces the conversant relationship between the mass media and the youths
of Nigeria.
The study specifically focuses on the usage habits of young Nigerians and how
social media has affected their communication and socialization habits. Social
media which develops the communication activities among masses as demoted the
level of mass media outreach across the country. It automations deals directly
with the users and their sources of tapping information’s without any influence
of the mass media. It has thus increased the speed of its effort drastically.
The future of communication has been predicted to depend to a great degree on
electronic modes with the tags! Technological development. Academics, business
men of social media of new media generally had abandon the initial modes of
tapping, revealing, and encouraging suitable information.
Obviously,
the advent of social media attracts many users which limits the effort of the
mass media on the use of their appliances in conveying their information and
aborted their ways of notification in the country. It reduces the commitment of
the audience to the mass media offers. social media gives no rooms for
community orientation and collectivism among the youths of Nigeria since it advent. Most
youths spend much of their time relax activities on social networks which they
derive pleasure in. Also limited time is being committed to social networks
materials than initiative explorers. This has changed the interest of the
public in the arbitrary things of the country and shifted their attention to
the foreign developmental efforts.
Thus
the use of social media has restricted the sources of generating fame to the
mass media. Many users of social media find it easy to sort from the internet
rather than purchasing a print copy or listen to the broadcast stations. The
mass media visualized activities are being restrained due to commercial activities
that generates income for mass media such as advertisement, public awareness
which is now been transferred to the social media services.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
For easier understanding and impartation of
the study, the terms that are technically used in this chapter are as defined below:
i.
Traditional
mass media: These are diversified media technologies
that are intended to reach a large audience at once by mass. Also it is a
communication means, whether written, broadcasted or spoken, which is meant to
satisfy the audience with rich informative events. Examples are television,
newspaper, radio, magazines; “James Ages and Walter Leppmann” also highlighted
the functions of mass media for entertainment and information.
ii.
Technology:
It refers to the making, modification usage and knowledge of tools, machines,
techniques, and craft for latest advancement in the society. According to
“Jonathan Abrams” the creator of friend star concocted a perfect mix of popular
features from easier social networking procedures which led to this opinion on
technology. He analyzed it as the web blogs, games gadgets, instrumental
devices and which brought about advancement across the globe.
iii.
Social
media: It refers to the making, modification
usage and knowledge of tools which was implemented above to interact among
people in which they create share and exchange information. Also “Danny Shea”
in the Huffington post defined social media as a means of speeding up access to
knowledge and a form of electronic communication which facilitates interaction
based on certain interests and characteristics.
iv.
Communication: It is applicable to both social and
mass media. It deals with the act of conveying information with the motion of
receiving response or reactions.
According
to John O Bold win, in 2000 communication is a living strategy that gives the
mass and the media ability to evoke paths: invention and discoveries of
heralding revolution connectively, communication cycles creates mutual
relationship among the world. Also it plays prominent role in the growth and
development of the study.
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Alessandro Acquits
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Howard Rheingold
Anal Katharina (2006): Technologies of Cooperation.
Palo Alto, (A institute of the future. A student
hand book.
Bandura, H
(1986): Foundations of thoughts and action: a social cognitive theory.