Social media has become part of our daily life experience especially for the younger people to the point that “the popular image of young people with their faces glued to screens of their devices while they are constantly texting, checking e-mail, or updating their social media pages and keeping up with world events and helping to shape them” is a daily spectacle (Kacie, 2009). This assertion and related data from studies are frequently used in the media and by young researchers rather than the aged.
Ciboh (2015) observed in an online social media network research he conducted that most academic research has focused mainly on adolescent and young adults among undergraduate students. He further stated that “there is currently little academic research that describes the activities of older adults on these sites (who does what and with whom) and how these behaviours affect outcomes of interest especially in Nigeria” (Ciboh, 2015).
A report on social media poll conducted by NOIPolls in November, 2019 “observed that the older the individual, the less likely they are to engage social networking sites and applications.”
All the research findings show that “younger ones in age demonstrated greater possibility than older people to use the internet and social networking sites more frequently” (Ciboh, 2015).
DATA FROM RESIDENTS OF FCT CORROBORATED PREVIOUS FINDINGS
Frequency of visit on social media bases by age
In the same vein, a research which investigated the influence of misinformation on voters’ electoral decisions during the 2019 Presidential election in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, with the objective to identify channels through which misinformation is spread revealed that there is decrease in visits to the social media with an increase in age.
A cross tabulation of visits of FCT respondents to the social media daily compare to their age indicated that 41.79% of respondents that visit social media on daily basis are those within the age bracket of 20 – 35, while 36 – 45 accounted for 20.27%, 46 – 60 years accounted for 15.83% and 61 years and above accounted for 1.89%. This implies that youths are the most active category in the society who frequently visit social media, followed by the age grade between 36 – 60 years and the least of the age grade is 61 and above.
The survey data also analysed weekly visits, the result showed the same decrease in visits to social media with increase in age as 20 – 35 years constituted 7.59% , 36 – 45 years, 3.16%, 46 – 60 years, 1.27% while 61 and above takes 0.63%.
An analysis of twice a week, once a week and monthly visits to social media shows the same decrease with increase in age of the survey respondents.
This is an implication that the frequency of visits on social media decreases with increase in age, as the result further indicates that those above 61 years are the least social media visitors.
Table 1.
FREQUENCY OF VISIT ON SOCIAL MEDIA BASED ON AGE
| 20 – 35 | 36 – 45 | 46 – 60 | 61 and Above | |
| Daily | 41.79 | 20.27 | 15.83 | 1.89 |
| Weekly | 7.59 | 3.16 | 1.27 | 0.63 |
| Twice a week | 1.89 | 0.63 | 0.63 | 0 |
| Once a week | 0.63 | 1.27 | 0.63 | 0 |
| Monthly | 1.27 | 0.63 | 0 | 0 |
SOURCE: Survey Research 2021
Sharing of news via social media with family and friends based on age
The survey further gathered data relating the frequency of sharing news via social media with family and friends in comparison to their age. The survey indicated that 43.40% of respondents that share news via the social media are those within the age bracket of 20 – 35, which implies that youths are the most active category in the society who frequently share news items through the social media, followed by the age grade between 36 – 45 with 22.02%. This means that the frequency of sharing news with friends and family members using social media decreases with increase in age. The result further indicated that those above 61 years are the least social media visitors of those who share news items through social media.
Figure 2.
SHARING OF NEWS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS BASED ON AGE
| 20 – 35 | 36 – 45 | 46 – 60 | 61 and Above | |
| Yes | 43.40 | 22.02 | 16.99 | 1.25 |
| No | 8.80 | 5.03 | 1.25 | 1.25 |
SOURCE: Survey Research 2021
Through which media do people follow political campaigns based on age?
The survey further gathered data relating the frequency of the media through which respondents follow political campaigns based on their age. The analysis indicated that 31.26% of young people within the age bracket of 20 – 35 often follow political campaigns via social media, while 16.25% are those within the age bracket of 36 – 45. 46 – 60 years constituted 10.63% while there was none for 61 years and above.
Figure 3.
THROUGH WHICH OF THESE MEDIA DO YOU FOLLOW POLITICAL CAMPAIGN BASED ON AGE
| 20 – 35 | 36 – 45 | 46 – 60 | 61 and Above | |
| Social Media | 31.26 | 16.25 | 10.63 | 0 |
| TV | 11.88 | 6.25 | 5.62 | 3.12 |
| Political rallies | 5.00 | 3.75 | 1.87 | 0 |
| Radio | 3.75 | 0.62 | 0 | 0 |
SOURCE: Survey Research 2021
CONCLUSION
Results of the survey conducted within the FCT demonstrated that a cross tabulation of data collected on the visits of the FCT respondents to social media and the love to share news via the social media compared with their age established the fact that the frequency of visits on social media decreases with increase in age of the respondents.
REFERENCES
Chakraborty, R., Vishik, C. and Rao, H. R. (2013). Privacy preserving actions of older adults on social media: Exploring the behaviour of opting out of information sharing. Decision Support Systems 55, 948–956. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2013.01.004. Retrieved on 7th December, 2021 from http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/caeiae/documents/pdf/chakraborty-dss-2013.pdf
Ciboh, R. (2015). Adult Users’ Engagement and Utilisation of Social Networks Sites in Nigeria. Retrieved on 7th December, 2021 from https://www.ojcmt.net/download/adult-users-engagement-and-utilisation-of-social-networks-sites-in-nigeria-5670.pdf
Kacie D. (2009). Use of “Social Networks” Strengthen Impact of Pro-Life Youth, National Rights to a Life (NRL) News Page 9, January 2009, Volume 36,Issue 1
NOIPolls, (2019). Social media polls report. Retrieved on 7th December, 2021 from https://noi-polls.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Social-Media-Poll-Report.pdf
