Social Media in Nigeria: A Curse or Blessing in Time of COVID-19 and Crisis Situation? A Behavioural Perspective

Abstract

Social media came to the limelight in the wake of the early 2000s into the global space to foster interactions among individuals and groups of people. It has shown several positive sides for those who are far off to share vital information across the world, unlike yesteryears when communication seemed difficult for individuals in different locations. This study examines both the positive and adverse impacts of social media on Nigeria's socio-cultural space. It advances how Nigeria utilized social-media platforms during the pandemic and war situation. The study employed narrative discourse to demonstrate crisis communication patterns in Nigeria especially among millennial youths. The narrative discourse portends that there is an indication that social media is both a blessing and a curse to our nation. Often time, people communicate the wrong impression into the polity just to demonstrate their self-serving ideas. They overblow the incidence out of proportion and the majority of the receivers would fail to evaluate the source of the information, messages, and even pictures sent across social media. Most time photoshopped images are sent to prove negative points without having a recuse to the impact of such incidence in society. The chapter offers a vital expository on relevant communication approaches on social media to the audience that will not heat the polity. It examines effective communication strategies and stages of social media crisis management. This paper concludes that the negative effects which it has unleashed on Nigeria are more than its benefits, therefore, a curse rather than a blessing to Nigeria's socio-political and economic space.

Citation

Akinwale, O.E. and Onokala, U.C. (2022), "Social Media in Nigeria: A Curse or Blessing in Time of COVID-19 and Crisis Situation? A Behavioural Perspective", Eniola, A.A. (Ed.) Entrepreneurship and Post-Pandemic Future, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 53-71. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-902-720221005