THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

ABSTRACT

The study is focused on examining the influence of social media on the 2023 presidential election political campaign. It aimed at examining the attitude of internet users toward social media reports on the 2023 presidential election campaign, ascertaining the roles played by social media in the 2023 presidential election campaign and determining the influence of social media on the 2023 presidential election political campaign. For its theoretical framework, the study adopted the Agenda setting theory. While the survey research method was used to gather the data used for the study. Findings of the study revealed that the opinion of UNIVERSITY OF BENIN students toward their preferred candidate and political party is based on what they have come across on social media. The findings also indicate that social media was used to spread propaganda, religious hate and ethnic divide during the 2023 presidential election. The researcher therefore concluded that use of social media to campaign during the 2023 presidential elections campaign influenced the behavior of voters. It was recommended that the social media users must be socially responsible in reporting stories associated to elections so that they do not cause mayhem or anarchy in the state. The researcher also recommended that social media users must be careful enough to fact check information they receive online since the social media had been accused of providing reports of elections which are colored, packaged and dictated to suit the taste of a selected few.