An Investigation into Social Media Usage and Its Effects on Users’ Mental Health in Nigeria
Chapter One
Objectives Of The Study
The study’s main goal is to examine social media usage and its effect on users’ mental health in Nigeria using youths in Lagos state as a case study. The study specifically attempted to:
- Determine the extent of social media usage among youths in Lagos state
- Determine whether there is a significant relationship between social media usage and the mental health of youths
- Ascertain the effect of social media experience on the mental health of youths in Lagos state.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Concept of social media
Social media is that means that employs mobile and web based technology to create highly interactive platforms via which individuals and community share, co-create, discuss and modifies user-generated content (Kietzmannn, 2012). Social media is a phrase being tossed around a lot. It is a website that does not just give you information but interact with you while giving you information. It is a group of internet based application that allows the creation and exchange of users generated content. It is easy to confuse social media with social news because we often refer to members of the news as the media. Adding to it, that social news site is also social media site. Some media website includes:
- Social Bookmarking: interact by tagging website and searching through website book marked by others (Blink list, simple).
- Social News: interact by voting for articles and commenting on them (Digg, propello).
- Social Networking: interact by adding friends, commenting on photo and profiles, sharing groups for discussions (Facebook, 2go, BB chat)
- Social Photo and Video Sharing: interact by sharing photos or videos and commenting on the user submission. (Youtube and Fliki).
- Wikis: interact by adding articles and editing existing articles. (Wikipedia, wikia).
Social media refers to the means of interaction among people in which they create, share, exchange and comment among themselves in different networks. Andreas and Michael (2010) are of the opinion that social media is a group of internet based application that builds on the ideological foundation and allows the creation and exchange of users – generated content. Social media has become one of the major channel of chatting through platforms such as 2go, BB chat, blogger and wiki a. There has been an increase in the mobile social media which has created new opportunity for browsing.
The internet usage effect of social media, in views of Nielsen (2012) is that, students continue to spend more time on the social media than any site. The total time spent on social media across mobile devices increased by 37%, 121 billion minutes in July 2012 compared to 88 billion minutes in July 2011.
Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) classified social media into six different classes as follows:
- Collaborative Project (Wikipedia)
- Blogs and Micro blogs (Twitter)
- Content Communities (Youtube)
- Social Networking Site (Facebook; 2go; BB chat)
- Virtual Game World (World of war craft)
- Virtual Second World (Second life)
Technology includes the blogs, picture sharing, music sharing, crowd sourcing, e-mail, instant messaging and voice over. These services could be integrated via social network aggregation platforms.
Mobile Social Media
When social media is used in combination with mobile devices, it is called mobile social media. Social media is a group of mobile marketing application that allows the creation and exchange of users generated content. Due to the fact that mobile social media runs on mobile devices, it differs from traditional social media as it incorporates new factors such as the current location of the user, time delay between sending and receiving. According to Kaplan (2002), social media can be divided into four types:
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
Research Design
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e. mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
Population of the Study
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals, as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out on social media usage and its effect on users’ mental health in Nigeria using youths in Lagos state as a case study. Hence, the population of this study comprises of youths resident in Yaba, Lagos state.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of two hundred (200) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which one hundred and fifty (150) were returned and all were validated. For this study a total of 150 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on social media usage and its effect on users’ mental health in Nigeria using youths in Lagos state as a case study. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was to examine social media usage and its effect on users’ mental health in Nigeria using youths in Lagos state as a case study. The study was specifically set to determine the extent of social media usage among youths in Lagos state, determine whether there is a significant relationship between social media usage and the mental health of youths, and ascertain the effect of social media experience on the mental health of youths in Lagos state.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 150 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are youths resident in Yaba, Lagos state.
Conclusions
Based on the findings of this study, the researcher made the following conclusion.
Social media has turn out to be a critical part of human beings inside the present generation. It has influenced them in many ways. On the one hand, numerous advantages of social media consisting of on line chatting, audio/video calling, reviews sharing, posting images, reading the real time news and advertising is attracting users rapidly. On the opposite hand, excessive use of social media is causing negative influences on mental health like an increase in anxiety, depression, isolation, and low self-esteem as soon this study.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proffered.
- The exercise of safe social and balance use of social media should be encouraged among the
- Parents should also be aware of the threats to mental health that their children face. By understanding howsocial media can effect the mental health of their children, parents can talk to their children about healthy social media habits and balancing their time on social media and help protect their children from experiencing mental health issues later in life.
- Proper time limitations should be fixed on certain applications for adolescents. They should only work at desired times only under the surveillance of their guardians.
- Parents should be ensured that there is adequate opportunity for every child to express their creativity apart from the social media in school and at home.
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