Socioeconomic Determinants of the Use of Social Media among Agricultural Undergraduates in North-West Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the socioeconomic determinants of the use of social media among agriculture undergraduates in North-west Nigeria. Three States were purposively selected out of 7, and 250 students were randomly selected from the States. Data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire. Percentages, means and multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Results of the data analysis reveal that 76.4% of the students’ had a monthly income of ₦10,000-₦30,000; 55.2% spent 10-29 hours per week using the social media. Facebook (x̄=3.18) and WhatsApp (x̄=3.02) had the highest number of users. Age, marital status and monthly income were statistically significant (P≤0.05); while years of formal education and the access to internet were both significant. Age, marital status and years of formal education were the major determinants of social media usage among agricultural undergraduates. The Nigerian communication commission should enforce a downward review of data bundles and also push for a larger access to free Wi-Fi services.

Keywords

• socioeconomic determinants of social media use