INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MASS COMMUNICATION STUDIES AMONG MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS OF BENSON IDAHOSA UNIVERSITY, BENIN CITY

Summary

The study aimed to assess the impact of social media on the studies of Mass Communication students at Benson Idahosa University, Benin City. Initially, the researcher provided a background on the pivotal role of social media within educational institutions in Nigeria, followed by a review of relevant literature on the topic. The research utilized a survey design, selecting Benson Idahosa University students as the population. Using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table for sample size determination, a simple random sampling technique was employed to choose one hundred students as participants. The research instrument was a questionnaire divided into two sections: Section A gathered personal data from respondents, while Section B focused on responses related to the research questions. Out of one hundred questionnaires distributed by the researcher and an assistant, seventy were returned and analyzed using the simple percentage method. The analysis revealed that mass communication students at Benson Idahosa University are extensively engaged with social media, frequently using it for a variety of personal, professional, and academic purposes. Furthermore, the study found strong integration of social media tools and strategies within the university's curriculum, indicating that social media significantly influences how mass communication students use social media platforms at the university.