AWARENESS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: A STUDY OF ICT STUDENTS AT KWARA STATE UNIVERSITY, NIGERIA

Abstract

The use of social networks among students at higher institutions has become popular and is widely celebrated amid criticism. This is because these social networks are changing the way people communicate, interact, and socialize. The purpose of this paper is to explore students' awareness and use of social media: a study of ICT students at Kwara State University, Nigeria. This study used a survey research method. The respondents were students’ faculty of information and communication technology, and the results reveal that the majority of respondents (91.4%) are familiar with social networks, have access to the Internet, and regularly use mobile phones for social networking. Less than half (8.6%) of them speak and share information on social media. While results also show that participants intentionally use social networks for academic purposes, self-expression, and to establish global friendships,