Towards Perception and Usage of Social Networking Sites among Students in the Ghana Institute of Journalism
Keywords:
Perception, Usage, Social Networking Sites, Students, FrequencyAbstract
This study explored the perceptions and usage of Social Networking Sites (SNS) among tertiary communication students. It specifically investigated students' perceptions about Social Media, their most preferred SNS and the uses of social media among students. This study sought to determine the relationship between perception of social media and frequency of use of social media among young communication students in the Ghana Institute of Journalism, Accra. Theories underpinning the study are the Community of Inquiry model, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Uses and Gratification theory. The study adopted a Random Stratified sampling technique to respond to three hypothetical issues: 1. That Students' frequency in using social networking sites will not significantly relate to their research and learning; 2. That there is no significant relationship between frequency of using social networking sites and effective advertising of goods and services; 3. That there is a significant relationship between student perception of Social Networking Sites and frequency of use. The study revealed that students perceived social media as an interesting tool useful for research and learning and concluded that communication students enjoy using social media but the use of the platforms for learning is limited. SNS was also perceived as a relevant tool for advertising and stimulating sales.
Abstrait
Cette étude a exploré les perceptions et l'utilisation des sites de réseautage social (SNS) parmi les étudiants en communication de l'enseignement supérieur. Il a spécifiquement étudié les perceptions des étudiants sur les médias sociaux, leurs SNS préférés et les utilisations des médias sociaux par les étudiants. Cette étude visait à déterminer la relation entre la perception des médias sociaux et la fréquence d'utilisation des médias sociaux chez les jeunes étudiants en communication de l'Institut ghanéen de Journalisme d'Accra. Les théories qui sous-tendent l'étude sont le Modèle de Communauté d'Enquête, la Théorie Cognitive Sociale et la Théorie des Utilisations et de la Gratification. L'étude a adopté la technique d'échantillonnage Stratifié Aléatoire pour répondre à trois questions hypothétiques : 1. La fréquence d'utilisation des sites de réseaux sociaux par les étudiants n'aura pas de rapport significatif avec leur recherche et leur apprentissage ; 2. Qu'il n'y a pas de relation significative entre la fréquence d'utilisation des sites de réseaux sociaux et la publicité efficace des biens et services ; 3. Qu'il existe une relation significative entre la perception par les étudiants des sites de réseautage social et la fréquence d'utilisation. L'étude a révélé que les étudiants percevaient les médias sociaux comme un outil intéressant utile pour la recherche et l'apprentissage et a conclu que les étudiants en communication aiment utiliser les médias sociaux, mais que l'utilisation des plateformes d'apprentissage est limitée. Le SNS était également perçu comme un outil pertinent pour la publicité et la stimulation des ventes.
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