Social media use, social capital, and political participation among Nigerian university students
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Date
2016-12-31
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
Abstract
The arrival of social media, dubbed Web
2.0, has reconfigured the media and
political landscape as well as media-politics
relations in a way that is supplying
the citizens with more powers. By limiting
the gate-keeping of information
common to the mainstream media, the
social media generally offer platforms for
stimulating mass participation through
their information dissemination and
networking power. While pundits and
prognosticators are of the view that social
media platforms stimulate as well
as attenuate youths’ community and
political participation, findings remained
inconclusive and are mostly skewed
towards the examination of events in
developed democracies. To offer a developing
country perspective on the nexus
between social media and political engagement
among the youths, this study examined the democratising prowess of
social media on Nigerian youths’ community
participation and political participation.
Situated within the social
capital theoretical paradigm, representative
samples of youths were drawn
from two universities in Ilorin, Kwara
State, Nigeria. The results showed that
social media enhance the social capital
and political participation of the youths,
particularly during the period of national
elections.
Key words: Social media, social capital,
political participation, Nigeria, university students.
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Citation
Mustapha, L. K. Gbonegun, V. O. & Mustapha, M. L. (2016): Social media use, social capital, and political participation among Nigerian university students. Tripodos. 39: 127-143