SOCIAL MEDIA AND VOTING PATTERN OF YOUTH IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

SOCIAL MEDIA AND VOTING PATTERN OF YOUTH IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

ABSTRACT

This study titled “Social media and voting pattern of youth in presidential election.” was undertaken after the 2015 Nigerian presidential election held in March 2015. The objectives of the study were to determine the impact of social media on youths’ political participation in the 2015 Nigeria presidential election, with undergraduates of the University of Ilorin as case study; to examine the perceptions of Nigerian youths about Nigerian politician’s image on social media; to examine the believability level of political news Nigerian youths read on social media and to determine the level of credibility Nigerian youths attach to political messages on social media. The study was guided by the agenda-setting theory. The research methodology adopted was the survey method with questionnaires as the data collection instrument. Findings from the study revealed that social media did have a positive influence on youths’ participation in the political and electoral process, especially the 2015 Nigeria presidential election. Social media influenced youths’ choice of political candidate and party but, quite amazingly, did not actually guarantee that youths voted for any political candidate just because he or she has a social media account. Youths also regard social media as a credible medium for political discourses and majority also testified to the social media as making them become more politically active. This does not come as a surprise if one considers how often and how much time youths spend on social media daily.