Public Perception of Social Media Contributions to Political Participation Processes in Delta State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Civic Engagement; Prosumer; Netizen; Nigerian Democracy; Web 2.0Abstract
The social media have become a critical component of Nigeria’s democracy, with widely acclaimed potentials for influencing public civic engagement. However, the nature and direction of such influence remains a source of debate among researchers. This study examined public perception of the contributions of social media to political participation processes in Delta State, Nigeria. It adopted the survey method using a sample of 500 respondents selected through a multistage sampling technique. A likert scale questionnaire was used to collect data which were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that although the social media were perceived to have positively influenced Nigeria’s democracy by enhancing the flow of political information and awakening public political consciousness, the news and information being disseminated on social media platforms were noted to have increased the spate of hate speech and stoked political unease. The study recommended that citizen journalists should imbibe online responsibility and be sensitive to public needs and expectations while using any of the social media platforms for political ends.
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Yoo, S. W. & Gil de Zúñiga, H. (2014). Connecting blog, Twitter and Facebook use with gaps in knowledge and participation. Communication & Society, 27(4), pp. 33–48.
Agu, C. F. (2015). Democracy, election and political participation in Nigeria: 1999-2011. Journal of Policy and Development Studies, 9(5), pp. 110-119.
Ahmad, T.; Alvi, A. & Ittefaq, M. (2019). The use of social media on political participation among university students: An analysis of survey results from rural Pakistan. SAGE Open, pp. 1-9. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2158244019864484.
Ajayi A. I. & Adesote S. A. (2015). The New Social Media and Consolidation of Democracy in Nigeria: Uses, Potentials and Challenges. Journal of Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa, 2(4), pp. 47-58.
Akpoghiran, I. P. & Erubami, J. A. (2019). Analysis of students’ preference for social and mainstream media as platforms for information gathering. Journal of Social and Management Sciences, 14(1), pp. 13-20.
Aleyomi, M. B. & Ajakaiye, O. O. P (2014). The impact of social media on citizens’ mobilization and participation in Nigeria’s 2011 general elections. Center Point Journal, 17(2), pp. 31-52.
Apuke, O. D. & Apollos, I. N. (2017). Public perception of the role of Facebook usage in political campaigns in Nigeria. International Journal of Community Development and Management Studies, 1, pp. 85-102.
Ashiekpe, J. A. & Mojaye, E. M. (2017). Influence of social media use on the social development of Nigerian adolescents and youths. Journal of Social and Management Sciences, 3(1), pp. 91-100.
Asemah, E. S.; Gujbawu, M.; Ekhareafo, D. O. & Okpanachi, R. A. (2017). Research methods and procedures in mass communication (2nded). Jos, Nigeria: Matkol Press
Casteltrione, I. & Pieczka, M. (2018). Mediating the contributions of Facebook to political participation in Italy and the UK: The role of media and political landscapes. Palgrave Communications, 4(56), pp. 1-11. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41599-018-0109-5.
Carlisle, J. E & Patton, R. C. (2013). Is social media changing how we understand political engagement? An analysis of Facebook and the 2008 presidential election. Political Research Quarterly, 66(4), pp. 883-895.
Chinedu-Okeke, C. F. & Obi, I. (2016). Social Media as a Political Platform in Nigeria: A focus on electorates in South-eastern Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 21(11), pp. 6-22
Clement, J. (2019). Social media and users-generated contents. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/972907/number-of-social-network-users-in-nigeria/.
Ekwueme, M. & Folarin, S. (2018). Role of social media in electioneering: The case of the Nigerian 2015 presidential election. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Communicatio, 11(1), pp. 54-68.
Fenton, N. & Barassi, V. (2011). Alternative media and social networking sites: The politics of individuation and political participation. The Communication Review, 14(3), pp. 179-196. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2011.597245.
Internet World Stats (7 April, 2020). Internet penetration in Africa 2020- Q1-March. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats1.htm.
Kaplan, A. M. & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world unite: The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), pp. 59-68.
Karamat, A. & Farooq, A. (2016). Emerging role of social media in political activism: Perceptions and practices. Journal of South Asian Studies, 31(1), pp. 381-396.
Madueke, O.; Nwosu, C.; Ogbonnaya, C.; Anumadu, A. & Okeke, V. O. S. (2017). The role of social media in enhancing political participation in Nigeria. IDOSR Journal of Arts and Management 2(3), pp. 44-54.
National Bureau of Statistics (2018). Demographic statistics bulletin. Retrieved March 27, 2020 from http://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/download/775.
Nwafor, K. A.; Odoemelam, C. C.; Orji-Egwu, A.; Nwankwo, S. U. & Nweze, S. (2013). Social media and political participation in Africa: Issues, challenges and prospects. In D. Wilson (Ed.), Communication and the New Media in Nigeria: Social engagement, political development and public discourse, pp. 64-84. Uyo, Nigeria: ACCE.
Nworgu, B. G. (2006). Educational research: Basic issues and methods (3rded). Enugu, Nigeria: University Trust.
Okoro, N. & Nwafor, K. A. (2013). Social media and political participation in Nigeria during the 2011 general elections: The lapses and the lessons. Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(3), pp. 29-46.
Segaard, S. B. (2015). Perceptions of social media: A joint arena for voters and politicians? Nordicom Review, 36 (2), pp. 65-78. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/nor-2015-0017.
Xenos, M.; Vromen, A. & Loader, B. D. (2014). The great equalizer? Patterns of social media use and youth political engagement in three advanced democracies. Information Communication and Society, 17(2), pp. 151–167. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2013.871318.
Valenzuela, S.; Park, N. & Kee, K. F. (2009). Is there social capital in a social network site? Facebook use and college students’ life satisfaction, trust, and participation. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14(4), pp. 875–901. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01474.x.
Ufuophu-Biri, E. & Ojoboh, L. O. (2017). Social media as a tool for political resistance: Lessons from the Arab spring and the Nigerian protests. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 6(1), pp. 61-66. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5901/ajis.2017.v6n1p61.
Yoo, S. W. & Gil de Zúñiga, H. (2014). Connecting blog, Twitter and Facebook use with gaps in knowledge and participation. Communication & Society, 27(4), pp. 33–48.
Published
2020-07-17
How to Cite
Erubami, A. J. (2020). Public Perception of Social Media Contributions to Political Participation Processes in Delta State, Nigeria: Array. Acta Universitatis Danubius. Communicatio, 14(1). Retrieved from https://dj.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/AUDC/article/view/400
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