PERCEPTION AND USAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF CHUKWUEMEKA ODIMEGWU OJUKWU UNIVERSITY, ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study examined the perception, level of awareness and usage of the social media among the undergraduate students of Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu University, Uli and Igbariam Campuses. The study is anchored on the Uses and Gratification theory. Using survey research design, a sample size of 399 respondents was drawn from the population of Chukwuemeka – Odimegwu Ojukwu students put at 8011. Two faculties and four departments were randomly selected for the study. Findings from the study revealed that the level of awareness of the social media network is high among the students and Facebook is the platform that is mostly used by the undergraduates. Other findings however reveal that these undergraduates allow their steady usage of Facebook to encroach into their studies time and this usage is mostly related to entertainment purposes to the detriment of other academic and e – learning purposes that may be gotten from the same Facebook. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the National University’s commission in partnership with the different university management is to ensure that the Nigerian students are actively oriented and sensitized on recent strategies aimed at maximizing the social media for gainful academic and research purposes currently being practiced in other advanced countries of the world.