Name of Author: Leslie Festus Cole- Showers

Qualification: 1st Class degree Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, with

honors

Class: 2014

Institution: Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone

Contact: +23279288803

Whatsapp: +23288421739
Lesliecole56@yahoo.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

To start with, I would like to thank God for His infinite grace, kindness, love, and mercy

upon my life. Had it not been for Him, I wouldn’t have reached this level in life. Thanks

to my adopted parents- Mr. & Mrs. Rev. Solomon Paul Khazali for paying my fees

through college; thanks to my aunt—Ammah, who supported me in my academic

pursuit than any other person in my family.

I’d also like to thank Mr. Hannel Cole- Lewis for his unending advice to me, with

regards taking my academics seriously. Thanks to my mother- Mrs. Sarah Cole-

Showers, for bringing me up in the way of education, and God, as well.

I’d also like to acknowledge the help and support I have received from tutors on this

course; they have challenged me and strengthened my academic base, for the world at

large.

Thanks to Pastor James Jesse Mansaray for the spiritual advice he’s been giving me, and

for helping in the printing of this work.

Finally, I wish to say thanks to my brothers and sisters- Andrew, Wise, Shedrach,

Samuel Finney, Cecil Cole- Showers, and Sia Bayor, for the love and concern they have

demonstrated to me throughout my stay in the academic cave.

DEDICATION

I wish to dedicate this piece of work to my unborn children, my late father- Mr. Leslie

Cole- Showers, and to my dearest sisters- Miss Leslina Cole- Showers, and Sia Bayor.
ACRONYMS

FBC--- FOURAH BAY COLLEGE

SNS--- SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

CMC--- COMPUTER MEDIATED COMMUNICATION

MIM—MOBILE INSTANT MESSAGING

CMS—CHRISTIAN MISSION SOCIETY

 TOPIC

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA: A CASE STUDY OF FOURAH BAY

COLLEGE STUDENTs

AUTHOR

LESLIE FESTUS COLE- SHOWERS

 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The social media is now an indispensable tool for students around the world,

because of its attendant benefits. The use of social media is as a result of

broadband services available via Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, etc. In the last ten

years, the online world has expanded remarkably. Hitherto, computer was about

the only technology available to surf the Internet, but the birth of smartphones

have altered that one way of doing things at the Internet. Nowadays, one can

obviously notice young people with mobile phones glued to their hand and

unwilling to put it away. Some of these have the most expensive Smartphones

which have built- in platforms like WhatsApp, among others, which they can use

to interact, socialize, and share ideas and information, sitting at any corner in the

world. This researcher wants to find out how they envelop their relationships via

the I te et. Toda s ou g ge e atio is us hatti g a d essagi g e e ti e

with friends and with unknowns too. According to Mobile Messaging Figures

(2012- 2016), since its creation over 20 years ago, SMS or short message service

has revolutionized the way we communicate. The figures also have it that, in

2011, 7.8 billion SMS messages were sent globally. In recent times, however, a
new wave of mobile communications services called mobile instant messaging

(MIM) applications have gained considerable momentum. Applications like

WhatsApp , Vi e a d Li e allo o ile use s to se d eal- time text messages

to individuals or groups of friends at no cost. According to whatsapp.com, driven

by the evolution and rise in smartphones, along with the decreasing cost and

convenience of mobile data plans, it is forecast that these MIM applications will

continue to grow unabated and ultimately lead to significant decreases in SMS

t affi . At p ese t WhatsApp ha dles o e illio essages pe da , a d is

one of the most popular paid for apps across all mobile platforms. More recent

reports highlight that text messaging is still a key media type in the daily lives of

young people (Nielson, 2009). Friendship ties require little effort or investment to

maintain and build social ties across distances (Golder et al, 2007). As academic

work is frequently updated, this researcher conceives that it is of immense

importance to focus on students and their personal perceptions of what social

edia ea s to the i toda s so iet , a d ho the use it i ette i g

themselves, academically, or otherwise.

The researcher grew interest on the said topic, in view of the fact that there has

been a proliferation of multimedia gadgets (especially mobile phones) which can

be used to access the Internet, and to join the world of virtual interaction, and
also ha ge o e s eha iou . All tha ks to the i e tio of social media, young

men and women now exchange ideas, feelings, personal information, pictures

and videos at a truly fascinating rate. In view of the aforementioned, most

teenagers nowadays have built homes, gotten married, established businesses

and fraternities, among others, just by sitting at a computer or a mobile phone

and surfing the Internet. Schill (2011), believes that the social media sites

encourage negative behaviours for teen students such as procrastination

(catching up with friends), and they are more likely to drink and drug. In July

2007, social network sites occupied five of the top fifteen visited websites,

according to Alexia.com. It is no wonder then, that most college students have

joined the bandwagon of the virtual world, spending countless hours buried in

social media, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube. At first glance, this may

seem like a waste of time; however it also helps students to develop requisite

knowledge and social skills, and be active citizens who create and share contents.

As a matter of fact, whether social media is helpful or not, most Students who

have accounts utilize these sites on a daily basis; while those who do not have any

a ou ts a t ait to e pa t of the I te et ogue so ial edia , although the

resea he holds that egula use of the so ial edia a lead o e i to so ial

ithd a al , the e , de alui g the o igi al ea i g of f ie dship. Ou t aditio al

notion of friendship embraces physical connection, support, trust, compatible

values, etc., Most parents are worried that their college- going kids are spending

too much time on Facebook and other social media sites, and not enough time

studying!

Bright (2011), propounded that social networks are just a tool. Like any tool, some

will use them for ill ends, but many others will put them to positive uses.

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The growth in Internet technology (and the introduction of web 2.0) has enticed

lots of students. Nowadays, students use laptop computers, palmtops, and

multimedia mobile phones to surf the Internet. This is evident on Fourah Bay

College campus, because students are either sitting in groups or alone, at a

laptop, computer, or a palmtop, surfing the Internet, hooking up with friends on

Facebook, and viewing, uploading or downloading video contents on YouTube.

Similarly, students also use their multimedia mobile phones to log into their

Facebook accounts, view YouTube contents, and use the WhatsApp mobile

application, as well, to exchange text, audio, and video messages respectively.

Sadly, most times, some students use the social media to view pornographic
contents or to upload or download such. They also use it to hold fraternity

meetings- something the University administration has put a lot of effort into to

minimize among students, and so on. Inadvertently, the use of the social media by

students lacks sanity, for the university has not put any mechanism in place for

the use of social media by students. This is in view of the fact that, students, even

when receiving lectures, go online to exchange messages, pictures, videos, and

audio files with friends. Besides, most students can no longer think creatively, in

order to come up with original ideas which will go down the archives of academia.

They now depend heavily on materials available on the Internet for assignments,

dissertations, and for knowledge acquisition as well.

1.2 HYPOTHESIS

This researcher predicts that most Fourah Bay College students who have access

to, and use the social media frequently, do so for non- academic interaction.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Which is the most popular social media site for Fourah Bay College students?

Why do Fourah Bay College Students use the social media?

Ca stude ts o ti ual usage of the so ial edia i flue e their ehaviour?

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this research is to look at the impact of the Social Media on Fourah Bay

College students, in the face of technological advancement

Objectives

To find out which is the most popular social media site for Fourah Bay College

students

To find out why Fourah Bay College Students use the social media

To dis o er hether stude ts o ti ual usage of the so ial edia a i flue e

their behaviour

To ascertain whether social media is distracting students from or enhancing their

academic work

To determine whether the use of social media in classrooms should be regulated

1.4 METHODOLOGY

Data was collected with the aid of a survey questionnaire (handed to Fourah Bay

College Students), which will be presented and analyzed subsequently, in this

study, and the researcher also conducted an observation on how students use the

social media.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The reason for this study is to explore the impact of social media on students. The

social media can either make or unmake students, by improving up their

academic performance or by impinging on their study. The abundance of

multimedia gadgets in the globe has created an opening for lots of students to be

pa t of the glo al illage . This o k has looked at the use of social media and

considered the benefits and dangers of being constantly connected, this work is

also geared towards generating ideas for the university as to how to regulate the

“o ial Media fo stude ts effi ie ; this o k is also aimed at refining

contemporary knowledge on this topic for academic reference.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH

This research is confined to students of Fourah Bay College. The geographical

span of this research does not go beyond Fourah Bay College.

1.7 DATA PRESENTATION

The researcher will be using tables, and descriptive analysis for the presentation

of data and findings.

1.8 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

Surf

To spend time visiting a lot of websites

Browse

To look at information on the Internet

Internet

The large system of connected computers, and mobile phones around the world

which allows people to share information and communicate with each other via

web 2.0 technology

Network

A large system consisting of many similar parts that are connected together to

allow movement or communication between or along the parts or between the

parts and a control centre

Search

To look somewhere carefully in order to find something

Virtual worlds

Virtual worlds are persistent online play spaces which allow users to determine

the direction of game play

Interaction

When two or more people communicate with or react to each other

1.9 SUMMARY

The social media is now a substitute for physical social interaction, given the fact

that most teenagers no longer want to visit friends in their homes, but want to

interact with the latter on social media. The astronomical advancement in both

computer and mobile phone technologies has killed both time and space.

Consequently, anybody who wants to get information passed on easily and

quickly, does so through any social media site, anybody who wants to meet with

new acquaintances does so via the social media, anybody who wants to have a
discussion with a friend does such via a social media site, etc. Apparently, it has

o e o e a pa t of ost tee s life. It ould also e a gued that ost stude ts

share academic information via social media sites, among themselves; they even

sometimes engage their tutors over one social media site or the other, with

regards a hard- to- understand- topic, or two. This chapter has introduced the

reader into how this researcher went about conducting the study.
 CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

INTRODUCTION

In chapter one, the researcher gave a summary of the research topic. Next, the

researcher examines in detail the conceptual and theoretical framework of the

Social Media. This chapter forms part of the research in order to look into the

conceptual explanations and theoretical framework of the Social media, its

elements, and forms as espoused by authors and scholars. However, the

researcher will also attempt to propound his understanding of the topic.

2.1 CONCEPTUAL EXPLANATIONS

The conceptual approach to the study of social media seeks to provide scholastic

points of view and explanations on the research topic. Key words and phrases are:

Impact, Social Network site, Fourah Bay College, and Student.

2.1.2 THE CONCEPT OF IMPACT

The Ca idge Lea e s Di tio a defi es i pa t as a powerful effect

that something new has on a situation or person, while the McMillian English
Dictionary (2004) defines impact as an effect or influence. For Oxford Advanced

Lea e s Di tio a th
Edition), impact means the powerful effect that

something has on somebody/ something. According to Oxforddictionaries.com,

impact means the action of one object coming forcibly into contact with another;

a marked effect or influence. Impact means to fix firmly by or as if by packing or

wedging; to have a strong and often bad effect on (something or someone), as

defined by Merriamwebster.com.
2.1.3 THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL NETWORK SITES

Today, after more than a century of electronic technology,

we have extended our central nervous system itself in a

global embrace, abolishing both space and time as far as

ou pla et is o e ed… u h as e ha e al ead e te ded

our senses and our nerves by the various media. (McLuhan, 1964.

pp. 3-4)

Even before there was this much advancement in technology, McLuhan (1964)

had foreshadowed to the future, saying that someday the world will become a

glo al illage. The o oo glo al illage is deli e ate, o side i g hat

obtains in a village—where almost everything is not hidden, where people know

themselves on individual basis, where there is interconnection by way of distance.

Inadvertently, the globe is the reverse of the village. The globe involves the whole

world. McLuhan was the first person to popularize the concept of global village

and to consider its social effects. His insights were revolutionary at the time, and

fundamentally changed how everyone has thought about the media,

communication, and technology ever since.

Boyd & Ellison (2007) assert that social network sites have three essential

components: 1) a user- constructed public or semi- public profile, 2) a set of

o e tio s to othe use s ithi the s ste , a d the a ilit to ie o e s o

list of connections, as well as the connections made by others in the system.

Beyond these basic capabilities, social networking sites differ in a wide variety of

ways, including how profiles are constructed (e.g., what fields are provided for

users to describe themselves?), how connections are made (e.g., are they

reciprocal or can they be symmetric?), what other communication features are

available (e.g., support for private vs. public messaging), and how customizable

the pages a e f o a look a d feel pe spe ti e.

The expression—social network site, generally is used to refer to web sites that

create openings for users to express a chain of connections of people with whom

they wish to share access to profile information, news, status updates, comments,

photos, or other forms of contents.

In the late 90s online communities included forums on Yahoo, AOL, Podigy, and

Friends Reunited (Curtis, 2013).

Then web 2.0 was introduced which opened a doorway

up to much more than that, it allows users to interact

 with web pages rather than being static. Web 2.0

is a fundamental change in the way people use the

internet, their online expectations, and experiences. This was

the beginning of social networking sites (Curtis, 2013).

With the web 2.0 technology, all users are potentially both producers and

consumers of content, multi-way communications instead of one- way,

connections between people are managed by the individuals through invitations

and sharing of their own personal connections, people choose what information

and how much to share, etc.

Tu et al (2008) assert that web 2.0 technology is shaping human communications

and is impacting how people present themselves in their interactions with one

another.

Boyd & Ellison (2007) posit that:

What makes social network sites unique

is not that they allow individuals to meet

strangers, but rather that they enable users

 to articulate and make visible their social networks.

Haythornthwaite (2005) held that this can result in connections between

individuals that would not otherwise be made, but that is often not the goal, and

these eeti gs a e f e ue tl et ee late t ties ho sha e so e offli e

connection.

The te f ie ds a e isleadi g, e ause the o e tio does ot

necessarily mean friendship in the everyday vernacular sense, and the reasons

people o e t a e a ied. Bo d, a.

Toda s kids are born digital- born into a media- rich,

networked world of infinite possibilities. But their

digital lifestyle is about more than just cool gadgets;

it s a out e gage e t, self- directed learning, creativity,

and empowerment (Edutopia, 2012)

According to Boyd (2006) Internet is a very important element of life which

cannot be ignored. Internet is used for educational purpose by a large community

but unfortunately we have a large community including majority of youth and

teenagers who use Internet for only social networking sites.

From the findings of Boyd & Ellison (2007), the first recognizable social network

site was launched in 1997. SixDegrees.com allowed users to create profiles, list

their friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the friends lists. Each of these features

existed in some form before SixDegrees, of course. Profiles existed on most major

dating sites and many community sites. AIM and ICQ buddy lists supported lists of

friends, albeit such friends were not visible to others. Classmates.com allowed

people to link with their high school or college and surf the network for others

who were also affiliated, but users could not create profiles or list friends until

years later. Boyd & Ellison further noted that SixDegrees was the first to combine

these features.

SixDegrees prompted itself as a tool to help people connect with and send

messages to others. Weinrieth (2007) says that while SixDegrees attracted

millions of users, it failed to become a sustainable business and, in 2000, the

service closed. Looking back, its founder believes that SixDegrees was simply

ahead of its time. While people were already flocking to the Internet, most did

not have extended networks of friends who were offline. Early adopters
complained that there was a little to do after accepting friend requests, and most

users were not interested in meeting strangers.

From 1997- 2001, a number of community tools began supporting various

combinations of profiles and publicly articulated friends. AsianAvenue,

BlackPlanet, and Migente allowed users to create personal, professional, and

dating profiles – users could identify Friends on their personal profiles without

seeking approval for those connections (Wasow, 2007).

Boyd & Ellison (2007) also found out that the next wave of SNSs began when

Ryze.com was launched in 2001 to help people leverage their business networks.

Ryze s fou de epo ts that he fi st i t odu ed the site to his f ie ds—primarily

members of the San Francisco business and technology community, including the

entrepreneurs and investors behind many future SNSs. In particular, the people

behind Ryze, Tribe.net, LinkedIn, and Friendster were tightly entwined personally

and professionally. According to Festa (2003) they believed that they could

support each other without competing. In the end, Ryze never acquired mass

popularity, Tribe.net grew to attract a passionate niche user base, LinkedIn

became a powerful business service, and Friendster became the most significant,
if o l as o e of the iggest disappoi t e ts i the I te et histo Chafki ,

2007).

Friendster gained traction among three groups of early adopters who shaped the

site—bloggers, attendees of the Burning Man arts festival, and gay men (Boyd,

2004)—and grew to 300,000 users through word of mouth before traditional

p ess o e age ega i Ma O “hea, .

As F ie dste s popula it surged, the site encountered technical and social

difficulties (Boyd, 2006b).

The active deletion of fakesters (and genuine users who choose non- realistic

photos sig aled to so e that the o pa did ot sha e use s i te ests. Ma

early adopters left because of the combination of technical difficulties, social

collisions, and a rupture of trust between users and the site (Boyd, 2006a).

However, at the same time that it was fading in the U.S., its popularity

skyrocketed in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Goldberg,

2007).

Furthermore, MySpace differentiated itself by regularly adding features based on

user demand (Boyd, 2006b). Then, in July 2005, News Corporation purchased

MySpace for $580 million (BBC, 2005), attracting massive media attention.
Afterwards, safety issues plagued MySpace. The site was implicated in a series of

sexual interactions between adults and minors, prompting legal action (Consumer

Affairs, 2006). A moral panic concerning sexual predators quickly spread (Bahney,

2006).

Moreover, according to Croft (2007), in February, 2004, Mark Zukerberg, with the

help of Andrew Mcollum and Eduardo Saverin, launched a website that would

change online social interaction forever—The Facebook. The Facebook started on

the campus of Harvard University, where the three friends were students.

Within 24 hours of going live, The Facebook was a

community of 1200 students. The Facebook buzz

grew on the Harvard campus and within weeks students

from Stanford and Yale wanted in. The network was exten-

ded and by April 2004, The Facebook was available on all

Ivy League servers (Croft, 2007)

Cassidy (2006) found out that Facebook was designed to support distinct college

networks only. Cassidy also revealed that Facebook began in early 2004 as a

Harvard- only SNS. To join, a user had to have a harvard.edu email address. As
Facebook began supporting other schools, those users were also required to have

university email addresses with those institutions, a requirement that kept the

site relatively closed a d o t i uted to use s pe eptio s of the site as a

intimate, private community.

C oft espoused that i August, , The Fa e ook d opped the The a d

Facebook.com was registered for $200,000.

Cassidy (2006) observed that in September, 2006, Facebook opened registration

to non- college based users. This change led to rapid growth in the number of

users, as well as almost viral growth within non- educational organizations. Since

May, 2007, Facebook has allowed the development and implementation of third

party applications (dev.facebook.com)

Lampe et al (2007) discover that Facebook.com was accessible by geographically

o fi ed g oups e.g. a a pus . Te ed et o ks the site hi h ha e

recently expanded to include non- university based geographic areas and

workplaces), this reflection of the offline community in the online environment

may have led to unique forms of use amongst users.

Arrington (2008) discovers that hundreds of social network sites have been

created, but today Facebook is by far the largest in terms of the number of users,

eclipsing MySpace in global unique visits to its Web site in April of 2008.

“tudies of adoles e ts use of “N“ sho that thei p ofiles o tai ed a ealth of

intimate, candid, and publicly available information on a wide range of social

issues. According to Williams and Merten (2008), University students are often

found to be obsessed with their social Facebook profile or Twitter page. They also

suggest that the over dependency on these media may affe t a stude t s

attendance at school.

According to Lewis (2008), teenagers now use the Internet for the majority of

their daily activities and information gathering, as opposed to older generations

who used resources like the television or newspaper.

Krist (2008) discovers that approximately ninety percent of teens in the U.S have

Internet access, and about seventy five percent of these teens use the Internet

more than once per day. This study also shows that approximately half of all teens

who have Internet access are also members of social networking sites, and use

the Internet to make plans and socialize with friends.

Ellison et al (2007) suggest that Facebook is used to maintain offline relationships

or solidify offline connections, as opposed to meeting new people. These

relationships may be weak ties, but typically there is some common offline

element among individuals who friend one another, such as a shared school. This

is one of the chief dimensions that differentiate Social Networking Sites from

earlier forms of public computer mediated communication such as newsgroups.

La pe et al fou d that Fa e ook use s e gage i sea hi g fo people

ith ho the ha e a offli e o e tio o e tha the o se fo

complete strangers to meet. Likewise, Pew research found that 91% of U.S teens

who use SNSs do so to connect with friends (Lenhart & Madden, 2007).

According to Kuppuswammy and Narayan (2010) social network websites grab

attention of the students and then diverts it towards non- educational and

inappropriate actions including useless chatting. On the basis of the above

statement, one would temptingly rush to the conclusion that students do nothing

on social networking sites, other than have fun.

On the contrary, Baran (2010) observes that though there are negative

pe eptio s a out the possi le effe ts of “N“ o stude ts a ade i

performance, some studies showed that they found it quite appropriate for a
teacher to use Facebook, and for teachers and students to socialize by this means.

Chu hhill s stud sho s that the use of e logs o logs so ial

publishing) in education, facilitated a useful learning atmosphere. Similarly,

Laccardi et al (2007) review that the students are socially connected with each

other for sharing their daily learning experiences and do conversation on several

topics.

According to Cain (2009) social network websites provide ease of connecting

people to one another; free of cost and after connecting one can post news,

informative material and other things including videos and pictures, etc. This free

of cost factor fascinates students for communication and data sharing. Cain

(2009) stated that although social network websites can be practiced for good

determinations, it is usually used for involvement of digital snapshots and

information, exposing securities, and conducting online conversations because

many other communities inside social networking websites motivate user for this

kind of inappropriate actions.

“tude ts a ti it o so ial et o ki g sites focuses on communicating with each

other. The most popular activities done by students and users on social

networking sites revolve around looking at profiles of one another, searching for
so eo e he e a d the e, o updati g o e s o p ofile, ea esd opping (sensing

other activities on social networking websites and analyzing their posts).

Tinto (1997) reviews that in this 14- 18 stage of human life people are more

attracted towards social network websites because those students who get aware

from social networking websites cannot satisfy themselves only from academic

activities, and for that reason they are highly attracted by common social

networking websites which are specifically specified for online personal,

professional and dating profile.

According to Pernisco (2010) in the past five years, social media websites have

become omnipresent, creating an opening for young people to interact and to

socialize with the world. He also noted that this new form of communication

depends on user- created content, not mass produced messages coming from

large media companies. But as with other media efo e it, so ial edia s ise to

prominence has encountered serious drawbacks. Companies like Facebook,

MySpace, and Twitter have struggled to balance an inviting interactive

environment with the ultimate pursuit of profit.

Kathleen and Anuhea (2010) posit:

 Most schools have blocked certain websites being accessed

by students. For example, in some high schools, many students use

MySpace to write comments about other students and even the

facilitator which caused the blocking of sites that allow such

comments and opinions, especially during class. Even though

there was a way to get around it, the comments section was

restricted and could not be accessed through the school computers.

As we have seen in the media, there are people who create false web

pages of people.

Young people are right in front, in the face of changing technology at their

fingertips. Berkham (2008) highlights that research on the supposed dangers of

the Internet has attracted considerable public attention and concern; media

coverage has regularly mischaracterized research in this area, lending to

inaccurate perceptions of what risks youth face. For Livingstone (2003) this has

generated public anxieties that both guide and undermine research, complicating

the already challenging study of children within the privacy of the home.
The phenomenon of the internet has really taken off in the last ten to fifteen

years; as computers have become more affordable, domestic access to the

internet has reached the mass market in a growing list of countries that now use

various technologies to permeate almost every aspect of contemporary social life

(Dixon & Webber, 2007). Online access has become embedded in the routines of

daily life across the industrialized nations (Livingstone, 2008).

Turkle (2011) believes that in the present day young people are growing up fully

tethered to the internet and also to their parents via mobile phones. It is

expected that they will answer calls from parents and that texts will be read and

responded to. But this in turn takes away the experience and responsibility of

young people being alone and with only themselves to count on. This in turn

eates a iet ot o l fo ou g people ho do t ish to take the all o a e

too busy to notice, but also anxiety for their parents as calls go unanswered and

they are unable to contact their children.

So capacitating the youth of today by handing them technology, we are also

disempowering their freedom, making them more accountable, and possibly less

likely to be decisive on their actions without using new technology to

communicate with others.

Turkle (2011) posits:

In the present time, young people wait to be

i te upted Fa e ook updates, T itte ,

Instant messaging etc. They have no less need to

learn empathic skills, learn values and express

feeli gs tha p e ious ge e atio s ut the al a s

o te h olog does little to ulti ate self- reflection.

Technology makes it easier for feelings, and views to be expressed, release of

emotional stress as people seek advice and solace from one another, at one social

networking site or the other. Chambers (2006) discusses this issue in saying that

self- identity has been liberated from the regulations of the past, traditional forms

of authority such as parents by the ability to access knowledge and communicate

online. This makes self- identity no longer present, but instead perceived as a

reflexive project for which the young person is responsible as authors of their

own life.

Apparently, technology makes it easy to express emotions while they are being

fo ed a d ask fo othe s opi io ; it suppo ts a e otio al st le i hi h

feelings are not fully experienced until they are communicated or sent out for

comment.

According to Young (2009) new modes of communication have enabled young

people to opt out of local discourse and instead enter into global flows of fashion

and communication. For Livingstone (2003), online social network sites such as

Facebook and Twitter have become truly significant new phenomena in human

communication and interaction patterns and can have a profound impact in the

way people communicate and connect with each other.

Page (2010) discusses the change in the pattern of internet use, including the rise

of social networking sites and says these have tempered these early concerns,

because young people now tend to use the internet to supplement face- to- face

interactions, rather than to communicate with strangers.

As technology becomes banal it becomes more powerful and trans-formatively

shaping social norms (Dixon & Weber, 2007). Just as Berkham (2008) talks of risk

associated with internet use, Dixon and Weber (2007) say moral panic suggests

that cyberspace is an inappropriate and unsafe place for young people. In

addition, they iterate that new media has resulted in the demise of childhood by

exposing young people to information previously kept from them. Young people
today are growing up in the new age; this is the digital generation. They can seek

porn and other inappropriate content if they wish, but they can also become so

much more informed than previous generations.

According to Tanis et al (2012) the human need for popularity might be a better

predictor of social network use, because these sites are ideal venues for people

with such a need, although this need is something of no specific measurement.

According to Wellman et al (1999), social networks serve a number of functions in

offline life—for instance, providing social and emotional support, information

resources and ties to other people.

There has also been an increase in mobile online communication. Alfred (2012)

notes that despite getting connected with friends for more and more time, their

privacy is also getting more vulnerable to threats by hackers and fraudsters.

Khatwani (2012) observes that way back in 1876, a revolution was created by a 29

year old genius – Alexander Graham Bell, in the form of telephone. She further

oted that ost of us ali e toda , e e t the . But that e did get to witness a

similar break through though, in 2009—WhatsApp, a dream come true of talking

to a friend sitting oceans apart through radio waves, meaning absolutely free!
What used to cost a somewhere between Rs. 5- 15 per message was brought

down to being free by online messaging like way2SMS.

This was still found to be cumbersome by people, mainly due to the involvement

of Internet which required logging or signing in a personal computer or laptop.

This is where WhatsApp walked in to make life easy for smartphone users. It

le e aged o the i easi g popula it of the te , sta o e ted . Whe e

people wanted staying in touch with their friends and loved ones for as low a

price as possible, WhatsApp removed the price aspect from it.

Khatwani (2010) also notes that an invention by two guys with an experience of

20 years at Yahoo! Inc. as per the official website, WhatsApp stirred hard what

the broth BlackBerry (BB) had tried to, but could only cater to BlackBerry users, in

the form of BB messenger. No wonder, the success of WhatsApp is much greater

(in terms of number of users) compared to BlackBerry messenger. It is supported

by many platforms—Windows, Blackberry, Android, etc. It has even managed to

enter the territory of Apple, which is otherwise difficult to cross for non- apple

made application.
WhatsApp is a rage, from being a multi- purpose, user friendly, and connectivity

application to allow sharing of not only messages but also images, audio files and

videos.

But then, WhatsApp does cost one something. It demands an Internet

connection, on the smartphone handset, to be in use.

According to Khatwani (2010), it could be any of the following that distinguishes

WhatsApp from other free of cost applications:

1. The boom of 3G services followed by a fad for the same

2. The plethora of cool and funky emoticons offered by WhatsApp

3. Adding a friend on WhatsApp is simple. Anyone who possesses this

application on his/her smartphone and is present in your contact list at the

same time is connected to you via WhatsApp.

4. WhatsApp does t e ui e a “ig - i o Log- out .

5. What s up , the o - going homonym pun, somehow makes it easier for the

youth to connect with WhatsApp (intelligent naming).

6. WhatsApp connects with its users in more than one ways—Facebook, Blog

and Twitte , idi g o the su ess of so ial et o ki g s popula it .

One of the most interesting mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications on the

market today is WhatsApp.

According to Hakkila & Chafield (2005), teenagers employ text messaging for

general chatting, planning and coordination, as well as for gifts- giving rituals

where certain text messages as exchanged as gifts among friends (Taylor &

Harper, 2002).

Benzie (2007) noted that the Canadian government prohibited employees from

Facebook.com. In the same way Boyd & Ellison (2007) also points out that the U.S

Congress has proposed legislation to ban youth from accessing social networking

websites in schools and libraries.

As is see a o e, o e ould i ad e te tl o e to a ied o lusio s i o e s

mind. However, some of the things which are obvious are the fact that most

students use social networking sites for interaction, virtual dating, academic

discourse, gaming, relaxation, escape route from normal social life, among others.

Social network sites have almost rendered real life useless, because people no

lo ge a e if the do t see o dis uss ith thei elati es o o ies ph si all , i

view of the fact that social media sites offer them platforms for the exchanging of
messages, viewing of pictures, and even videos from both relatives and friends, or

acquaintances, regardless of the geographical distance.

One interesting phenomenon of social network sites is that everybody has the

leverage to express him/herself. This lures reticent students who own a social

network site account to express themselves unrestrainedly.

2.1.4 THE CONCEPT OF FOURAH BAY COLLEGE

Fourah Bay College was founded by the Church Missionary Society in 1827, for the

purpose of training Africans as school masters, catechist and clergymen. The

establishment of Fourah Bay College intended on the one hand, to provide its

pupils, the children of the freed slaves and liberated Africans with opportunities

to obtain training in basic skills, needed to survive in their new environment, on

the other hand, to train those of its pupils who displayed the requisite aptitude as

teachers and priests (fbcusl.8k.com/history.html).

In 1827, CMS succeeded in getting the college affiliated to Durham University,

which meant that the stude ts ould sit fo Du ha s at i ulatio e a i atio s

and take Durham University degree examinations, although had no control over

the appointment of lectures and lecturing. The affiliation led to a revision of the

courses include Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, History, Natural Science, French and

German (fbcusl.8k.com/history.html).

Early in 1958, expanding university work threatened to outstrip accommodation

unless the non- graduate teacher training commitment was discontinued. In

February 1958, the government was convinced that the separation of its training

from FBC was inevitable and in November promised to effect the transfer to a
separate teacher training college before September 1959.FBC then moved

towards University status and in January 1965, a Royal Charter constituting

Fourah Bay College as the university college of Sierra Leone was granted. The

affiliation with the University of Durham continued and degree in Arts, Science,

Economic Studies, and post graduate Diploma in Theology and Education were

awarded by the university to successful candidates from FBC. The college

awarded its own diploma in Engineering and License in Divinity. As from 1st

September 1966, the college became a constituent college of the University of

Sierra Leone which itself was constituted under the University of Sierra Leone Act

.I , a e a t, The U i e sit of “ie a Leo e A t as passed i

parliament. This established a unitary system embracing Fourah Bay College, Njala

University College and one or two more other smaller colleges. Fourah Bay

College since its foundation has catered for and continues to cater for Sierra

Leonean and non- Sierra Leonean students, from the entire continent of Africa

and beyond. The faculties and institutes are as follows: faculty of Arts, faculty of

Engineering, faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, faculty of Social Sciences and

Law, etc.

The college has introduced the new information technology (internet, etc.) and

plans to make this available to the entire college. Fbcusl.8k.com/history.html

2.1.5 THE CONCEPT OF STUDENT

A o di g to the O fo d Ad a ed Lea e s Di tio a th

Edition), student

means a person who is studying at a university or college. The Macmillan English

Dictionary (2004) defines student as someone who goes to a university, college,

or school. A student is one who is engaged in a course of study, especially in a

secondary school, college or university; one devoted to study; one who makes

thorough study of a particular subject (Funk Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary,

. The Ca idge Ad a ed Lea e s Di tio a des i es a stude t

as a person who is learning at a college or university, or sometimes at a school.

A student is someone who is attached to a particular tertiary institution for the

purpose of acquiring advanced knowledge in a particular discipline or subject.

2.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

For the purpose of this study, the researcher referenced the Uses and

G atifi atio s theory of mass communications. According to Blumler & Katz

(1974), it is well accepted that communication theories have developed through

the realms of psychology and sociology over the past 100 years. With illumed by

valuable ideas as well as exploring more untilled fields in these two disciplines,

researchers elicit a series of higher conceptions of understanding media. As a

sub—tradition of media effects research, uses and gratification approach is

suggested to be originally stemmed from a functionalist paradigm in the Social

Sciences.

McQuail (1983) opines that the exploration of gratifications that motivate people

to be attracted to certain media is almost as old as empirical mass communication

research itself.

In a study by Katz et al (1973), a subject which is known as the uses and

gratifications research were explored. They viewed the mass media as a means by

which individuals connect or disconnect themselves with others and found that

people bend the media to their needs more readily than the media overpower

them. Blumler & Katz (1974) suggest that media users seek out a medium source
that best fulfills the needs of the user and they have alternate choices to satisfy

their need. They also discovered that media served the functions of surveillance,

correlation, entertainment and cultural transmission for both society and

individuals.

In addition, Katz et al (1974) comment that, although previous researches on

gratifications detected diverse gratifications that attract people on the media,

they did not address the connections between these gratifications. They

suggested that uses and gratifications research concern with the following

aspects:

(1) the social and the psychological origins of (2) needs which

generate (3) expectations of (4) the mass media or other

sources which lead to (5) different exposure (or engaging

in other activities), resulting in (6) need gratification and

(7) other consequences, perhaps mostly unintended ones (pp.20)

Uses and gratifications approach emphasizes motives and the self- perceived

needs of the audience members. Certainly, there are many reasons for using the

media as there are media users (Blumler & Katz, 1974).

Basi eeds, so ial situatio , a d the i di idual s a kg ou d, su h as e pe ie e,

i te ests, a d edu atio , affe t people s ideas a out hat they want from media

and which best meet their needs. McQuail et al (1972) proposed a model of

edia pe so i te a tio s to lassif fou i po ta t edia g atifi atio s:

Diversion: escape from routine or problems; emotional release; (2) personal

relationships: companionship; social utility; (3) personal identity: self-reference;

reality exploration; value reinforces; and (4) surveillance (forms of information

seeking).

Katz et al (1973) developed 35 needs taken from the social and psychological

functions of the mass media and put them into 5 categories:

1. Cognitive needs, including acquiring information, knowledge and

understanding;

2. Affective needs, including emotion, pleasure, feelings;

3. Personal integrative needs, including credibility, stability, status;

4. Social interactive needs, including interacting with family and friends; and

5. Tension release needs, including escape and diversion.

Co g uousl , M Quail s lassifi atio s of the follo i g o o easo s

for media use are as follows:

INFORMATION

I. Finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate

surroundings, society and the world

II. Seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices

III. Satisfying curiosity and general interest

IV. Learning; self – education

V. Gaining a sense of security through knowledge

PERSONAL IDENTITY

I. Finding reinforcement of personal values

II. Finding models of behaviour

III. Identifying with valued others (in the media)

IV. Gaining insight into oneself

ENTERTAINMENT

I. Escaping, or being diverted, from problems

II. Relaxing

III. Getting intrinsic culture or aesthetic enjoyment

IV. Filling time

 V. Emotional release

VI. Sexual arousal (pp. 73)

McQuail (1994) added another dimension to this definition. He states that:

Personal social circumstances and psychological dispositions

togethe i flue e oth… ge e al ha its of edia use a d also…

beliefs and expectations about the benefits offered by the media,

hi h shape… spe ifi a ts of edia hoi e a d o su ptio ,

follo ed … assess e t of the alue of the e pe ie e ith o -

se ue es fo fu the edia use a d, possi l … appli atio s of

benefits acquired in other areas of experience and social activity

(pp. 235).

If we take i to o side atio “ki e s ope a t o ditio i g it a e

argued that unpleasant and pleasant consequences (reinforcement) experienced

whilst on social networking sites shape future behaviour, possibly leading to

creating an alter ego or embellishing certain traits.

The uses and gratification theory assumes that members of the audience are not

passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their

own lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing

media to meet their needs. This approach suggests that people use the media to

fulfill specific gratifications.

The uses and gratifications has always provided a cutting edge theoretical

approach in the initial stages of each new mass media, such as newspapers, radio

and television, and now the Internet, which receives the significance via this

approach (Ruggiero, 2000). According to Ruggiero (2000), the uses and

gratifications theory has been widely used, and also is better suited, for studies of

Internet use. In the Internet environment, users are even more actively engaged

communication participants, compared to other traditional media. For Katz et al,

the theory also suggests that people consciously choose the medium that could

satisfy their needs and that audiences are able to recognize their reasons for

making media choices. Katz el al also further argue that available media choice

competes to satisfy individual needs. Thus, there exists competition not only

between the Internet and other traditional media, but among each option in the

Internet itself as well.

Despite the robustness of this list, history has shown that new media often create

new gratifications and new motivations among various audience groups

(Angleman, 2000). Lin (1999) mentions that although motivations for Internet use

may vary among individuals, situations, and media vehicles, most uses and

gratifications studies explore them based on some or all of the following

dimensions: relaxation, companionship, habit, passing time, entertainment, social

interaction, information/ surveillance, arousal, and escape.

Examining how and why students use a university computer bulletin board,

Rafeali (1986) found that users seldom skip the factual or informative messages,

which indicate their strong interest in messages of this type. Lin (1999) discovered

similar result when she examined online services adoption. She found that online

services are perceived primarily as information—laden media, and that audiences

who need to create more outlets for information reception are the ones most

likely to adopt online services.

A o di g to M Quail , e te tai e t o te t appea s to satisf use s

needs for escapism, hedonistic pleasure, aesthetic enjoyment, or emotional

release. Providing entertainment, therefore, can motivate audiences to use the

media more often (Luo, 2002).

Other studies identified anonymity as one of the reasons why people go online.

According to McKenna et al (2000), people use the security of online anonymity

to develop healthy friendships and gratify their need to socialize.

With small fear of social punishment and recrimination, minority groups can

equally participate in the communication process provided the technology is

universally available (Braina, 2001).

2.4 SUMMARY

In this chapter, the researcher did thorough examination of the conceptual

frameworks by looking at primary sources of data, which include arguments, and

findings of previous researchers and authors. The researcher also came up with

theoretical propositions as espoused by scholars, in connection with the research

topi . The uses a d g atifi atio s theo as used the esea he , a d the

researcher highlighted how this theory envelops users of the Internet, especially

in the face of technological advancement.

 CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Introduction

In the previous chapter, the researcher dwelled on the conceptual explanations of

the research topic, and theories were also looked at, with regards the topic. In

this chapter, however, the researcher will in detail, bring out the research

methodologies and tools used in soliciting data and information from

respondents.

The objectives of this research are to solicit information from FBC students with

regards how, and for what reason (s) they use the social media, and also to

discover whether social media can be an effective platform for learning in college.
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

For the purpose of the objectives set down by the researcher, the triangulation

design was used to gather information from defined respondents, by

administering questionnaire to students, and by also observing first- hand some

of the things they do over social media. The data and findings will be presented

and analyzed subsequently in the coming chapter.

3.2 Research methods/ designs

In its entirety, the research is compartmentalized in five chapters. These chapters

are an embodiment of: introduction, literature review, methodology,

presentation of data and analysis of findings, and the conclusion. Methods of

research differ from university to university. However, no matter the degree of

difference, there also exist similarities such as the need for data collection.

Heaton (2004) holds that the gathering of information in research could be

derived from a number of methods, which include: interviews, focus groups,

surveys, telephone interviews, field taped social interaction or questionnaires.

Moreover, data collection is a vital aspect of the conduct of any research. Most

times, soliciting data and information can be very cumbersome and horrifying for

researchers. Apparently, it is not easy to conclude which is the most appropriate

ethod fo data olle tio . Thus, O Lea e a ks that olle ti g data is a

tough task, and it is worth remembering that one method of data collection is

inherently better than another. Consequently, which data collection method to

use depends upon the research goals and advantages and disadvantages of each

method to aid the researcher in doing his/ her research, he/ she must be able to

identify and access the relevant and related material that needs to be sourced

during the course of the research. The reason behind every research is to find out

a phenomenon, which could be executed by investigating, exploring, etc.

Research is conducted with the aid of both primary and secondary data. The

primary data is done by conducting/ designing a method (s), in order to extract

information from a particular set of the population, in connection with the topic;

it is usually either qualitative or quantitative in form. On the other hand,

secondary data comes into play when the researcher subsumes existing

knowledge or materials into his/ her write up. It equally involves getting

information, but from already available data. Primary data could be amassed
through surveys or interviews, while secondary data could be elicited with the aid

of available written documents, records, websites, etc.

According to Whitehead (2005), secondary data is simply a reference to existing

data, as compared to new data that are being collected, or have been recently

collected.

The methods used in the collection of data for this research include—survey

questionnaire (quantitative) and observation (qualitative). Combing both will be

equal to triangulation. The researcher chose to use the triangulation method of

data collection in view of the fact that he wants to gather both objective and

somewhat subjective analysis of how social media has impacted FBC students, in

the face of advancement in technology. The quantitative method usually refers to

studies that are highly objective and projectable, using closed- end, forced choice

questionnaires. Studies of these natures tend to rely heavily on statistics and

numerical measures. On the contrary, qualitative research usually refers to

studies that are somewhat subjective, but nevertheless in- depth, using a probing,

open- end, free response format. The observation method is qualitative in nature,

and it is a process of witnessing what is happening within an environment, within

a group, or within a system, to elicit the information you are looking for. One can
be a participant observer by getting into the environment. One can also be a

distant observer by distancing oneself from them by not giving them the

impression that one is watching them. In using the observation method to collect

data, the researcher will be involved in the event which he/ she is carrying out

his/ her findings on.

Neil (2007) establishes that quantitative research is more objective, since it

consists of conducting research using surveys to explore a problem or research

question. Quantitative research compares the relationship among one variable

over another. The research is always almost experimental and determines things

like effectiveness, regularity, and ratios of a given research area.

Creswell (1998) reveals that qualitative research is an enquiry process of

understanding based on distinct methodological traditions of enquiry that

research a social or human problem.

Gall et al (1996) mention that qualitative research methods are rooted in the

o i tio that features of the social environment are constructed as

interpretations by individuals and that these interpretations tend to be transitory

a d situatio al .
This research was carried out on FBC campus. The target population for the study

was FBC students, doing diploma and degree programmes.

The sample of the study is composed of 30 participants and the sample was

chosen using random sampling technique.

3.3 VARIABLES: the questionnaire needs variables in order to compare certain

trends or issues in question. The variables include: personal information about

the respondents, user preference, and user time spent on social media.

3.4 THE QUESTIONNAIRE

In addition, it is important to note that the following issues were considered by

the researcher in designing the questionnaire—information about the researcher,

information about the respondents, concentrating on name, gender, age bracket,

and academic level. It is a mixture of both pre- coded questions and open- ended

questions.

After designing the questionnaire, the researcher pre- tested it, by issuing few

samples to five participants for pilot survey. Having filled them, they returned the

questionnaires to the researcher. Upon this, the researcher injected some

changes into the format of the questions based on the feedback of the pilot

survey. The expressions were further polished and the questionnaire was ready

for distribution.

A questionnaire is a list of questions that can be completed in one of two ways.

First, respondents could be asked to complete the questionnaire with the

researcher not present. Secondly, respondents could be asked to complete the

questionnaires are restricted to two basic types of questioning:

Closed- ended: is a question for which a researcher provides a subtle list of

responses (e.g. yes/ no). This produces mainly, quantitative data.

Open- ended: is a uestio he e the esea he does t p o ide the espo de t

with a set answer from which to choose. Rather, the respondent is asked to

provide response (s) in his/ her words. This mainly manufactures qualitative data.

With the aid of questionnaires, the researcher is able to contact large numbers of

people quickly, easily, and efficiently; they are also relatively easy to create, code

and interpret. In addition, the respondent, not the researcher- does- the- time-

consuming part of completing the questionnaire. Moreover, a questionnaire is

easy to standardize. For example, every respondent is asked the same question in

the same way. The researcher therefore can be sure that everyone in the sample
answers exactly the same questions, which makes this a reliable method of

research.

3.5 OBSERVATION: this is a way of gathering data by watching behaviour,

events, or noting physical characteristics in their natural setting. Observations can

be overt (everyone knows they are being observed) or covert (no one knows they

are being observed and the observer is concealed). The benefit of covert

observation is that people are more likely to behave naturally if they do not know

they are being observed. Observations can also be either direct or indirect. Direct

observation is when you watch interactions, processes or behaviours as they

occur, for example, observing a teacher teaching a lesson from a written

curriculum to determine whether they are delivering it with fidelity. Indirect

observations are when you watch the results of interactions, processes or

behaviours.

Observation is usually associated with the sense of sight. But in the purest form of

observations without participation, ethnographers raise all of their senses, sight,

hearing, smell, taste, and feel, to levels higher than normal, and take in stimuli

from all sources of the cultural environment in which they are studying and living

(Whitehead, 2005).
3.6 CHALLENGES:

Conducting the research ate into most of my study- time; putting the materials

together was a great difficulty; retrieving the questionnaires from respondents

was a pain in the neck; finally, generating money for the accomplishment of the

research proved uneasy.

3.7 SUMMARY

This chapter examined the research designs and tools used by the researcher in

executing the research. The researcher also looked at the advantages and

disadvantages of each design.

 CHAPTER 4

4.0 RESULT/ FINDINGS/ DATA ANALYSES

In the former chapter, the author discussed varied methodologies used in

conducting this research. This chapter, therefore, is aimed at presenting and

discussing the research findings based on defined research questions and

objectives.

This chapter brings out the primary data of the research. Primary data refers to

raw first- hand information which is gathered by the researcher through various

methods, using different tools. The methods employed by the researcher,

however, are the survey questionnaire and observation.

Consequently, the findings of this research are based on the tools discussed in the

previous chapter.

4.1 OBSERVATION FINDINGS

For the purpose of this research, the researcher observed students using the

social media for the period of four months (February- May). The observation is di-
faceted, in that, the researcher observed some of the things that FBC students

post and upload at various social media websites (especially on Facebook and on

WhatsApp); and the latter part will focus on the general discussions and feelings

FBC students hold with regards the social media.

4.1.2 SPECIFICATION OF OBSERVATION

The specification gives a vivid description of the platforms used by students in

accessing the internet. Students use both mobile phones and computers to access

the internet, in order to log in to their Facebook accounts. However, for now,

WhatsApp is a mobile- phone- only social media (sophisticated mobile phones, at

that). With Facebook and WhatsApp, one can manage a group and extend

invitations to friends/ acquaintances, so that they become members of the group.

This has enabled students belonging to particular departments or faculties be

e e s of g oup s ea i g thei depa t e ts a es o fa ulties. What s

interesting is that, they not only belong to these groups on Facebook or

WhatsApp, but they also make their voices heard, and their faces seen as well.
 ACTIVITIES OF FBC STUDENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

This specification aims at bringing to light some of the things that FBC students

upload and post on the social media.

Some FBC students find it very satiating uploading different photos on Facebook

and WhatsApp, every day, or every time they log in.

This researcher also observed that some students upload half naked photos of

themselves. Such photos normally attract lots of comments from friends and

follo e s as ell. A o e t o e ead: ish I had a o a like ou, ou legs

a e so e ti i g. Could I ha e ou? It ould e a gued that so e stude ts ho

upload half naked photos of themselves are virtual relationship seekers, seeking

an on- line relationship, which could eventually lead to physical relationship.

The researcher also observed that even when some students are in class, they log

in to their Facebook accounts and WhatsApp, chatting with friends and uploading

contents. This particularly happens with some students who are on WhatsApp,

considering the fact that WhatsApp is an instant mobile messaging application.

However, students who belong to groups, especially departmental ones, such as

the Mass Communications Group both on Facebook and on WhatsApp, share

information among themselves. Some of this information include: publication of

results, new developments, about a called off class, and about a bereaved or an ill

colleague. The said group to which even the researcher belongs also has lecturers

on board. Thus, they sometimes post lecture notes for students to read, and

students also have the opportunity to interact with lecturers, there.

In addition, this researcher has observed that in their normal discussion, some

students profess that they cannot do without the social media. According to

them, the social media gives them fun and happiness, and also create a platform

for them to interact with friends and relatives who are far off. Some students

believe that the best thing that has ever happened to them is the social media,

giving that they have been able to build up relationships via the social media, stay

connected with friends and relatives, especially with the MIM (WhatsApp), etc.

4.2 ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRE DATA

The researcher used tables and descriptive analysis in presenting the result of the

survey questionnaire.
Thirty (30) questionnaires were administered to the population, but only twenty-

two (22) were returned to the researcher by the respondents.

Bio Data

Gender:

Variables Quantity
Male 17
Female 5

What is your age?

Variables Quantity
17- 24 11
25-32 11

Academic Level:

Dip. 1 Dip. 2 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

2 1 Nil 9 4 6

OBJECTIVE 1

To find out which is the most popular social media site for FBC students
1. Do you use social networking sites?

Variables Quantity
Yes 21
No 1

2. If yes, which one do you use the most?

Of the twenty- two (21), 13 said they use WhatsApp, 7 said that they use

Facebook, and only one respondent said he uses YouTube.

3. How much time do you spend on social networking site?

Variables Quantity
30 minutes 5
1 hour 3
2 hours 4
2 hours plus (+) 9

OBJECTIVE 2

To find out why FBC students use social networking site

4. What do you use social media primarily for?

All of the study who use social media i.e 21 of them, said that the primary reason

why they use the social media is to chat with friends/ acquaintances.
5. Do you have more friends on social media than in real life?

Variable Quantity
Yes 11
No 10

6. How does the use of social media make you feel?

Two (2) of the study said awesome, two (2) said relaxed, two (2) said great, 4 said

happy, 11 said connected.

OBJECTIVE 3

To dis o e hethe stude ts o ti ual usage of the so ial edia a i flue e

their behaviour

7. Do you think continual usage of social networking sites are affecting

the way you behave in the real world?

Variables Quantity
Yes 10
No 11
8. If yes, how?

Very high number of the study said that the continual use of social media has

altered their manner of interaction with the physical world. For instance, now,

they would rather interact with friends and relatives through social media, than

face- to- face. Few of the study, however, admitted that the continual use of

social media has affected their studying habits. According to them, more often

than not, the time they should be studying is the time they log in to one social

media site or the other.

OBJECTIVE 4

To ascertain whether social media is distracting students from or enhancing their

academic work

9. Do you think social media is affecting your studies?

Variables Quantity
Yes 10
No 11

10. If yes, is it….

Variables Quantity
Highly distractive? 6
Moderately distractive? 4
Or
Lowly distractive? Nil

11. Do you think social networking sites can be an effective tool for E-
Learning?

Variables Quantity
Yes 20
No 1

12. Do you think social networking sites help you with your homework?

Variables Quantity
Yes 17
No 4
13. Do you think social networking sites are more effective in
communicating with your tutors than in actual class?

Variables Quantity
Yes 8
No 13

OBJECTIVE 5

To determine whether the use of social media in classrooms should be regulated

14. Should the use of social media in classrooms be regulated?

Variables Quantity
Yes 13
No 8

15. If yes, by whom?

Variables Quantity
Class tutor 4
College authority 9
16. How can social media be used to improve learning in college?

Very high number of respondents said that creating academic groups on

WhatsApp and Facebook sites, for FBC students will augment learning. They also

mentioned that these groups should be regulated by lecturers or tutors.

 CHAPTER 5

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

5.0 DISCUSSION

I the data a al sis, the autho s fi st o je ti e To fi d out hi h is the ost

popular social media site for FBC students), proved the fact that of the twenty-

two (22) espo de ts, o l o e does t use so ial edia. The stud p o ed that

the most popularly used social networking site, is WhatsApp, followed by

Facebook. However, a very large proportion of the respondents said that social

media have altered their behaviour in the physical world, because now, they

prefer to interact with friends and relatives via social media sites; some admitted

that their studying habits have been impinged on because of their constant

indulgence in the social media extra ti e si k a ti ities. Mo eo e , the uestio

regarding time was interesting. A high number of the sample noted that they

spend 2 hours plus (+) on social media, with few saying 1 hour and less, per day.

Most of the respondents penned that the use of social media in classrooms

should be regulated- by the tutor, others said by the university authority. On the

othe ha d, the e e e those ho did t thi k the use of so ial edia i

classrooms should be regulated at all. This represents the different styles of social
media users. The respondents also held that social media, especially WhatsApp

and Facebook should be used by lecturers to disseminate academic materials to

strengthen learning.

I the late pa t of the esea he s se o da esea h hapte t o) the uses

and gratifications theory was examined. Considering the multitudinous number of

scholastic works on the said theory, the author chose to peruse only few (authors)

hose thoughts ea di e tl o the esea he s stud . I additio , the a o e

mentioned theory, specifically deals with which kind (s) of media people use in

order to fill their listening, or viewing thirst. Social networking sites have

transformed our meaning of interaction, by bringing people together in platforms

which feigns reality. As result, even introverts who own a blog, have become

extroverts in the social media domain, because they interact with people from

any corner in the world. They form or join groups, which stimulates them into

participating in discussions or frivolities they would never indulge in, in the real

world. Nobody wants to be left out of the fun involved in belonging to social

networking sites

The findings from this study will be subsequently used by future researchers to

strengthen their knowledge base on social media. It will also be used by the
university to curb the use of social media in classrooms, as provided for by one of

the autho s o je ti es.

These al a s o te h ologies p o ide ou g people the gate a to the glo al

world of interaction. The researcher went on to conceptualize social networking

sites like Facebook, WhatsApp, SixDegrees, among others.

5.1 CONCLUSION

In summary, the findings of the research render the hypothesis of the research

valid. This is in view of the fact that of the twenty 21 respondents who admitted

that they use social media, say they use it primarily to chat with friends/

acquaintances. The assumption of the author was ost stude ts ho ha e

access to, and use social media, do so for non- a ade i i tera tio . Also, most

of them spend more than two hours each day chatting with friends/

acquaintances. Moreover, they want to feel connected, by removing themselves

from the physical world and by going into worlds created by the web 2.0

technology. The research has paid attention to F.B.C. students and the conducive
technological environment which they have ceased upon to share information

and knowledge with people of similar interest. The author surveyed lots of

secondary sources of data, and brought the relevant ones to bear on his work. A

lot of research has been conducted on the impact of social media, in different

countries and contexts. Most of them found that people use the social media to

escape the everyday realities of this world, by getting in touch with people whom

they share values, interests, likes, etc. Come to think of it, people also use social

media to keep themselves abreast of upcoming events like birthdays of friends or

relatives/ acquaintances. Facebook, for instance, reminds its account owners of

thei f ie ds dates of i th. This has led to ost people ot a ti g to k o

when their friends or relatives birthdays are. Media scholars highlighted that

some of the reasons people use the media are to: escape reality, entertain

themselves, be attuned with happenings, relax, sexual arousal, time filling, finding

reinforcement of personal values, among others. From observation, it could be

concluded that people, especially students, always want to be on- line chatting

and exchanging video and audio contents. Sometimes they even exchange jokes,

which make them laugh themselves to hysterics. It could be said that this

behaviour is typical of people who are abnormal. In the questionnaire analysis,

some respondents admitted that the use of social media has changed the way
they behave in the public domain. They would laugh, cry, or even yell themselves,

just by reading a post on Facebook or on WhatsApp. As a matter of fact, for the

vast majority of students, life without the necessary gadgets to take to the world

o se sual hallu i atio is o thless. Fo that o ld takes the to pla es the e

never being, talk to people they would never chat with face- to- face, see people

ho the e ee lo gi g to see all thei li es. This e ite e t to elo g o li e

has tu ed ost stude ts atte tio a a fo thei a ade i o k. It has

distracted the trend of learning, because some students said that they would

even prefer that lectures are delivered online. That is via WhatsApp, and

Facebook.

This work has attempted to provide some modest contributions to social trends

and their impact inherent of social networking sites today. The preliminary

analysis aims to highlight important areas for future research.

5.2 RECOMMENDATION

The p ese t esea h is a s ap shot of FBC stude ts ho use so ial edia.

Further work should consider the possibility of researching the use of social media

de elops o e ti e. I pa ti ula , it ould e of i te est to see ho people s uses

and gratifications of social networking sites grow, and if the trend of visit is

ki dled pe petual o ta t o e ti e.

It should also be noted that the nature of the sampling method, may have

influenced the pattern of responses and overall levels of activity. Further research

may wish to look at a wider group of participants, examining their extracurricular

activities, work schedules, and their interrelationships.

More attention should be paid to suggestions made by students with regards how

social can be used to enhance learning in college.

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APPENDIX

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATIONS

FOURAH BAY COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE

Hello sir/madam,
I am Leslie Cole—Showers, a final honours ii student of the above
named department. This pamphlet is a questionnaire specifically
designed for students of Fourah Bay College, and the survey is being
o du ted fo the esea h ega di g The I pa t of “o ial Media: A
Case “tud of Fou ah Ba College “tude ts, i pa tial fulfill e t fo
the award of the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Mass communications.

Your participation will greatly help to obtain the results. Thanks in

advance!
BIO DATA

1. Name (OPTIONAL …………………………………………………………………………

2. Gender:

Male Female

3. What is ou age: ……………………..

4. Academic Level:

Diploma 1 Diploma 2 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Objective one

To find out which is the most popular social media site for Fourah Bay College students

5. Do you use Social Networking Sites?

Yes
No

6. If yes, which one do you use the most?

Facebook
WhatsApp
YouTube
Twitter
Othe spe if ……………………..

7. How much time do you spend on social networking sites?

30 minutes
1 hour
2 hours
2 hours plus (+)
Objective two

To find out why Fourah Bay College students use social networking sites

8. What do you use social media primarily for?

Downloading music/ video

Uploading music/ video
Posting photos
Searching for academic materials
Chatting with friends/ acquaintances
Making new friends
Othe spe if …………………………………………………………………

9. Do you have more friends on social media than real life?

Yes
No

10. How does the use of social network sites make you feel?

Happy
Great
Depressed
Connected
Awesome
Relaxed
Loved
Isolated
Distracted
Othe spe if …………………
Objective three

To dis o e hethe stude ts o ti ual usage of the so ial edia a i flue e thei eha iou

10. Do you think continual usage of social networking sites are affecting the way you behave in
the real world?

Yes
 No

11.If yes, how?

..........................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................

Objective four

To ascertain whether social media is distracting students from or enhancing their academic
work

12. Do you think social media is affecting your studies?

Yes
No

13. If yes, is it

Highly distractive?
Moderately distractive? or
Lowly distractive?

14. Do you think social networking sites can be an effective tool for E- Learning?

Yes
No

15. Do you think social networking sites help you with your homework?

Yes
No

16. Do you think social networking sites are more effective in communicating with your tutors
than in actual class?

Yes
No
Objective five

To determine whether the use of social media in classrooms should be regulated

17. Should the use of social media in classrooms be regulated?

Yes
No

18. If yes, by whom?

Class tutor
College authority

19. How can social networking sites be used to improve learning in college?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………

Thank you for your corporation!