Table of Contents
Abstract
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypothesis
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Limitations of the Study
1.9 Organization of the Study
1.10 Definition of Terms
1.10.1 Social Media
1.10.2 News Consumption
1.10.3 Nigerian Youth
1.10.4 News
1.10.5 News Consumption Habits
1.10.6 News Credibility
1.10.7 Influence
References
Chapter Two: Review of Related Literature
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Theoretical Review
2.2.1 Uses and Gratifications Theory
2.2.2 Agenda-Setting Theory
2.2.3 Media Dependency Theory
2.3 Conceptual Review
2.3.1 Concept of Social Media
2.3.2 Concept of News Consumption
2.3.3 Social Media and News Consumption
2.3.4 Social Media Use Among Nigerian Youths
2.3.5 Accessibility and Convenience of Social Media News
2.3.6 Credibility and Trust in Social Media News
2.3.7 Social Media, Misinformation and Fake News
2.3.8 Social Media Algorithms and Personalised News
2.3.9 Social Media Engagement and Participation in News
2.3.10 Social Media and the Changing Role of Traditional Media
2.4 Empirical Review
References
Chapter Three: Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Area of the Study
3.3 Population of the Study
3.4 Sample Size
3.5 Sampling Technique
3.6 Nature of Respondents
3.7 Sampling Distribution
3.8 Instrument for Data Collection
3.9 Questionnaire
3.10 Validity of the Instrument
3.11 Reliability of the Instrument
3.12 Method of Data Collection
3.13 Method of Data Analysis
3.14 Ethical Considerations
3.15 Limitations of the Methodology
3.16 Summary of the Methodology
Chapter Four: Data Analysis and Interpretation
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Response Rate
4.3 Demographic Characteristics of Respondents
4.4 Social Media Use and News Consumption Patterns
4.5 Influence of Social Media on News Consumption Habits and Preferences
4.6 Trust in News Obtained Through Social Media
4.7 Perceived Impact of Social Media on News Consumption
4.8 Test of Hypotheses
4.9 Discussion of Findings
4.10 Summary of Findings
Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary of the Study
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendations
5.5 Implications of the Study
5.6 Contributions to Knowledge
5.7 Limitations of the Study
5.8 Suggestions for Further Research
5.9 Summary of the Study
5.10 Conclusion
Questionnaire
Section A: Demographic Information
Section B: Social Media Use and News Consumption
Section C: Influence of Social Media on News Consumption Habits and Preferences
Section D: Trust in News Obtained Through Social Media
Section E: Perceived Impact of Social Media on News Consumption
Section F: Open-Ended Questions
ABSTRACT
This study examined the influence of social media on news consumption among Nigerian youth, using students of the University of Lagos as a case study. The rapid growth of social media has significantly transformed the way people access, share, and engage with news, with platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X increasingly becoming important channels through which young people encounter current affairs and other forms of information. While this development has improved the speed and accessibility of information, it has also raised concerns about the credibility and reliability of the news being consumed, particularly among university students who increasingly depend on social media for information about political, social, economic, and educational issues. The study was guided by three objectives, which were to determine the extent to which students of the University of Lagos use social media platforms for news consumption, examine the influence of social media on their news consumption habits and preferences, and assess their level of trust in news obtained through social media platforms. Three research questions and three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consisted of undergraduate students of the University of Lagos, with an accessible population of 1,200 students drawn from seven faculties, namely Arts, Education, Engineering, Law, Management Sciences, Social Sciences, and Science. The sample size of 300 respondents was determined using the Taro Yamane formula at a 5 percent margin of error. A multistage sampling technique was employed to select the respondents, and a structured questionnaire was used as the major instrument for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts and its reliability established through a pilot test using Cronbach's alpha. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages, while the hypotheses were tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the Chi-square test at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents (88.8 percent) use social media either very frequently or frequently, with WhatsApp (30.1 percent) being the most used platform for news consumption. A significant majority of respondents (70.7 percent) obtain news through social media at least once a day, and 83.9 percent spend at least 30 minutes daily consuming news through social media. Entertainment news (23.8 percent) was the most consumed type of news, followed by politics (21.7 percent) and education (18.9 percent). The majority of respondents agreed that social media is one of their major sources of information about current events (85.4 percent), that they depend on social media to stay informed about events in Nigeria and around the world (81.1 percent), and that social media has increased the frequency of their news consumption (85.4 percent). A significant majority (86.7 percent) prefer social media news because it is faster than traditional media, and 76.2 percent prefer social media news to traditional media news. While 55.2 percent of respondents disagreed that they generally trust news obtained from social media, 84.6 percent agreed that news shared by recognised media organisations on social media is usually credible. The majority of respondents (83.2 percent) consider the source of a news story before believing it, and 75.5 percent verify news obtained from social media before accepting it as true. A significant majority (86.0 percent) believe that some news stories shared on social media are misleading or false, and 83.2 percent agreed that misinformation on social media has reduced their trust in some social media news. The test of hypotheses confirmed a significant positive relationship between social media use and news consumption (r = 0.682, p = 0.000), a significant influence of social media on news consumption habits and preferences (p = 0.000), and a significant but weak positive relationship between social media use and level of trust in news obtained through social media platforms (r = 0.214, p = 0.012). Based on these findings, all three null hypotheses were rejected. The study concluded that social media has a significant influence on news consumption among students of the University of Lagos, presenting both opportunities in terms of speedy access to diverse information and challenges relating to misinformation and credibility. The study recommended that the management of the University of Lagos should organise regular media literacy workshops for students, social media platforms should intensify efforts to combat misinformation, traditional media organisations should adapt their strategies to remain relevant in the digital news environment, the government should develop policies that promote responsible social media use, parents should guide young people's social media use, and future researchers should build on the findings of this study by examining other Nigerian universities and segments of the population.
