ABSTRACT

Using Abia State University Uturu as a case study, this study examined the attitudes of tertiary students in Abia state regarding Instagram selfies. Significant research objectives were developed to accomplish this. In this study, the survey design was used, as well as simple random sample procedures. Students from Abia State University Uturu make up the majority of the population. The researcher readily selected 229 responders for selecting the sample size, while 215 were received and 210 were validated. Data was collected using a self-created and validated questionnaire. Frequency tables and mean scores were used to examine the collected and validated surveys. According to the findings, there is a high frequency of Instagram selfie usage among students in Abia State. The studies also found that students utilize Instagram selfies for a variety of reasons, including self-expression, recognition, likes, comments, and acceptance. According to the findings, students should be informed about the risks and benefits of taking selfies on Instagram, pointing out that it wastes time, increases the chance of addiction, and can harm their academic performance. Students should also be made aware of the possibility of criminal impersonation by unknown individuals. The occurrence of this act can be attributed to a number of factors.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background Of The Study

In the world of information and communication technology, social media appears to be taking center stage right now (Nche, 2012). It has evolved into an important aspect of modern civilization. As a result, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have given people new avenues to connect and socialize. Users can add a wide range of material to pages, pursue common interests, and communicate with others on these sites (Idrus & Hitam, 2014). Most of the topics discussed on social media are related to entertainment, education, society activities, the environment, and personal interests. The emergence of social media technologies such as “Instagram” has piqued the interest of the youth, which can be related to society’s globalization.

Instagram is a social networking tool that allows friends to communicate with one another without having to see each other in person. Instagram, according to Kaplan (2010), is a social media platform that allows users to create and share user-generated content. It is built on the ideological and technological roots of the web. Instagram is quickly becoming the default internet means of engagement, communication, and collaboration, according to Verster (2010). Because of the regular usage of the application’s Selfie capabilities, social media sites, particularly Instagram, appear to have gained popular in Nigeria, particularly among students.

Selfies” – amateur self-photographs frequently shared with others via Instagram and other social networking sites (Weiser, 2018) has now become a common and popular gateway to the online world, particularly in the field of self-disclosure. According to studies (Dhir, Torsheim, Pallesen & Andreassen, 2016; Baiocco, Bianchi, Chirumbolo, Morelli, Ioverno & Nappa 2016, referenced in Weiser, 2018), students are more engaged in selfie disclosures and the use of Instagram network profile picture building. Literature also implies that these students are more likely than adults to follow a “selfie policy” that prioritizes the selection of perfect images (Senft & Baym, 2015) and engage in own selfie disclosures rather than group selfies or selfies with a partner.

Statement Of The Problem

Instagram has grown in popularity as a photo and video display commercial for individuals on social media. It is one of the most popular social media platforms among users, particularly students in higher education. The photo-sharing site has expanded to include photo, video, and GIF sharing. With the launch of Instagram Stories and Instagram Live, it’s even become a competitor to Snapchat for live video, as well as a competitor to Pinterest with its recently released “Save” feature (Kaplan 2010). Many students create Instagram accounts for a variety of reasons, including social posting of photos, videos, and hashtags. Instagram users create leads, which increase their following. These are done for fun purposes, but many individuals are now using Instagram for a variety of other purposes. The majority of Nigerian teenagers use Instagram to express themselves through “Selfies,” or amateur self-photographs. This has been discovered to be prevalent among Nigerian undergraduate students. It’s also been proven that social media users utilize selfies to create and exhibit their “preferred” personas online in order to earn recognition, likes, comments, acceptance, and other benefits (Bareket-Bojmel, Moran, & Shahar, 2016). Scholars have identified selfie as a popular social media activity among users, particularly in rich nations, highlighting the need to learn more about how youth in underdeveloped countries engage in such behavior.

Objective Of The Study

In general, the goal of this research is to find out how Abia state tertiary students feel about Instagram selfies. The study will specifically:

Determine the prevalence of Instagram selfies among Abia State students.

Determine the motivations for students’ use of Instagram selfies.

Determine whether Instagram selfies have an impact on Instagram selfies’ social lives.

 Research Question

The following questions will lead the research:

  1. What percentage of Abia State students use Instagram to take selfies?
  2. What motivates kids to post selfies on Instagram?
  3. Do Instagram selfies have an impact on students’ social lives?

Significance of the Study

This research will attempt to uncover the pattern and motivation behind undergraduates in Nigerian colleges’ persistent use of Instagram selfies. As a result, the study will be extremely useful to both students and major stakeholders in Nigerian universities. Most importantly, the findings of this study will be valuable to school counselors, as they will provide guidance on how to chastise kids for their frequent use of Instagram selfies. It will also be used as a literature review by future scholars. This means that other students interested in conducting research in this field will be able to access this work as available literature that may be critically reviewed. Invariably, the study’s findings add significantly to the body of scholarly information about tertiary students’ attitudes toward Instagram selfies in Abia state.

Scope Of The Study

The study investigates the attitudes of tertiary students in Abia state about Instagram selfies. The study will focus on the prevalence of Instagram selfies usage among students in Abia State, students’ motivations for using Instagram selfies, and if Instagram selfies influence Instagram selfies’ social lifestyle. The research will be place at Abia State University in Uturu.

Limitation Of The Study

While conducting the study, the researcher discovered some limitations, as with any human endeavor. Insufficient funds hamper the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection process, which is why the researcher chose a small sample size. Furthermore, the researcher worked on this study while also doing other scholarly work. As a result, the time spent on research will be cut in half.

Operational Definition of Terms

Influence is the art of having one variable influence another in order to modify the outcome.

Social media refers to the architecture of a social networking site that allows users to share information in their social quest. Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms are examples.

Instagram is a social networking site where users may share videos and photos of their social activities with their followers, who can then comment or share them.

People’s feelings and attitudes about a certain thing, person, or concept are referred to as perception.

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