Adult Users’ Engagement and Utilisation of Social Networks Sites in Nigeria

Abstract

Most studies on social media use in Nigeria focus on youths and address issues such as internet accessibility; frequency and extent of social networking sites use; political attitudes and online political participation; academic uses and news consumption, and the addiction to this form of media. Whilst youths are avid users, studies indicate that popularity of social media continues to grow among older adults of 65+ years with multiple use rates. Hence this research describes the specific communication-based activities that occur on these sites among adults in Nigeria. To understand how older people use social network sites and what benefits they derive from them, purposeful sampling was undertaken of older adults living in the metropolitan Makurdi, capital of Benue State. The paper finds older Nigerians’ communication on SNS disposed to bonding social capital as interactions skew towards family members, close friends and colleagues. And although only about three in ten adults’ communication tends towards making new friends on social media, the paper concludes nonetheless that adult Nigerians’ social interactions on SNS may yet have positive correlation with bridging social capital and its potential resources.