TRENDS IN SOCIAL MEDIA ADOPTIONS IN NIGERIA: EVALUATING YOUTH’S PARTICIPATION IN 2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Doris Ngozi Morah, Oladokun Omojola, Chinwe Elizabeth Uzochukwu

Abstract


The global surge of social media accessed on mobile technologies especially among youths has brought about extraordinary opportunities in the society and have enabled a new trend in political communication. Today, social media networks are agents of sudden surge of virtuous public sphere dynamics with political campaigns thriving online; and through the smart mobile devices, making access easier and plausible.  In Nigeria a public sphere of connectedness and discussion has also been in the making particularly since the advent of GSM in 2001 and social media penetrations in 2006. The political participation of the Nigerian youth vis-a-vis their presence on social media via mobile technologies must therefore, be put on the scholarship radar in order to determine how much influence it exerts on the polity. Hinged on the Diffusion of Innovation and Technological Acceptance Model, this study investigated how young people in three states Enugu, Anambra and Ogun states were politically activated to participate in the 2015 Presidential Elections with respect to their social media presence accessed on mobile technologies. A total of 600 youths were purposively selected from three LGAs in the three selected states and surveyed. Results indicated that the numerous mobile text messages and social media updates sent by politicians during the campaign influenced  voting decisions with a minimal effect. Therefore, it is recommended that the polity be educated on the essence of mobile technologies in governance so that they can utilize it as an effective political communication tool for national development.

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