INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SELF PERCEPTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES

INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SELF PERCEPTION AMONG UNDERGRADUATES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background of the Study

The rapid growth of social media usage that has been observed over the last two to three years is indicative of its entry into mainstream culture and its integration into the daily lives of many people. In parallel with this, there has also been considerable media coverage of the growth of social media usage, its potential positive outcomes and concerns about the way that some individuals are engaging with it. Social media sites offer people new and varied ways to communicate via the internet, whether through their PC or their mobile phone. They allow people to easily and simply create their own online page or profile and to construct and display an online network of contacts, often called ‘friends’. Users of these sites can communicate via their profile both with their ‘friends’ and with people outside their list of contacts. This can be on a one-to-one basis (much like an email), or in a more public way such as a comment posted for all to see. Social media has become an activity that is done primarily on the Internet, with sites like Facebook, Twitter, 2go, Whatsapp, Mozat, Friendster, and snapchat etc.

Social media is embedded in our social climate as we know it today, having a critical influence on our mindset. Social media has produced deep-seated changes in the dynamic by which people interact with one another. These changes have altered conventional aspects of individual behavior and self-perception. When considering the growth of social media, it is imperative to acknowledge how it influences the way individuals perceive themselves and aim to be perceived. The purpose of this research study is to understand the effects of social media and how it influences self-perception, thought processes, emotions and selfesteem. It is important to be aware of the impact of social media on self-perception. Social media users expose many aspects of their lives, browse their feeds consistently to stay updated, relevant and informed. This study aims to offer insight into how individuals browse and process the information on their social media feeds in addition to how this information manifests and impacts selfperception.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Social media platforms are prevalent among teens and young adults. There is skepticism around social networking sites and how they impact individual mental health and self-perception. When examining the literature related to social networking sites, the keywords “social media,” “body image,” “perception” and “mental health” were used to search across national libraries. The literature explores the impact of social networking sites and the way they impact individual perceptions of themselves and the world around them. Meta-analysis articles reference individual research studies within the article to finalize their conclusions [Tazi, 2015]. Each reviewed article provides similar sample sizes and subjects. The articles reviewed were published within the last ten years, when social media came to be more popular. Articles related to specific social networking sites and the associated adverse effects are sparse.

The recognized problem that has led us to our research is that our world is becoming increasingly more divided due to the overdependence of social media and is subsequently creating a hypersensitive and segregated society. The purpose of this research is to further understand how our innate desire to socialize is used as a tool on social media platforms to reinforce a false sense of reality, which is increasingly dividing individuals not only in the virtual world, but in all aspects of social life.

1.3 Objectives Of The Study

The study's main goal is to examine the influence of social media on self perception among undergraduates student of Lagos State university. The study specifically attempted to:

1. Determine the extent of social media usage among undergraduates student of Lagos State university

2. Identify the social media platforms often used by undergraduates student of Lagos State university.

3. Find out the influence of social media on self perception among undergraduates student of Lagos State university.

1.4 Significance Of The Study

The study is significant to students, teachers, parents policy makers on the current trends in social media world, in the following ways.

The study will help the students to know that social media can help them improve their selfimage and academic performance if used judiciously. The study will help the teachers to gain additional knowledge on the current issues in social media usage by the students and find the appropriate measures in helping students to maximise gain on these media for academic attainment. It will also open the eyes of the parents to the challenges encountered by their students in social media usage in relation to their physical and cognitive development and the levels of their performance in education.

This study will be useful to the policy makers on how to design social media sites that suit education of these students for educational purpose and control the access to bad social media sites that affect students’ educational attainment. This study will also create a platform for further research in this field and how it affects spheres of life.

1.5 Explanation Of Variables

Social Media: they are forms of electronic communication which facilitate interactive base on certain interests. Social media include web and mobile technology.

Social Networking Sites: A website where people put information about them and can send to others.

Self-perception: can be described as a neurophysiological process by which an individuum becomes aware of and interprets him-/herself.

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