Social Media Technologies Advent and Prospects of Reading Culture in Universities

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of social media technology exposure on the academic learning culture of students in typical public and private universities of Nigeria. The study had four objectives: to find out the types of social media technology sites commonly used by students; to examine the frequency of using social media technology; to investigate the most common benefit from social media technology to students; to find out the influence of social media technology on the academic learning culture of students in Universities. The social cognitive and the uses and gratifications theories were used to explain the study while the survey method was used to execute the study. It adopted the population of 11,634 students and a sample size of 368 out of which 258 respondents, representing 71% accepted the option that students’ exposure to social media technology has a high positive impact prospects on reading and learning ability. The implication is that the use of social media by students is not for triviality and leisure entirely but for the research of vital academic assignments.  Through social media technology platforms, students have updated information on several topics that give an edge in academics. Data gathered discovered that social media technology preference does not completely cause negative influences on the academic learning and reading culture of students in universities rather it promotes the reading culture.