Social Media and Peace Information: A Case for Enhance Peace- Building Initiatives
Keywords:
Social media;, social media usage;, knowledge;, peace information;, peace building
Abstract
The incessant occurrence of security breach among Nigerians especially youths is of global concern. This has prompted peace advocacy groups to devise alternative mean of promoting peace through social media platforms. This is because social media has been adjudged as a potent tool in promoting peace across the globe. Literature is grounded on social media and peace, there is a dearth of studies on the social media contents and peace building knowledge among social media users. This study therefore, examines the social media peace information and peacebuilding initiatives among Nigerian. The study was anchored by Norm Activation Model and Connectivism theories. Descriptive survey research method was employed while questionnaire served as the instrument to gather data from 336 undergraduates systematically selected from University of Ilorin and Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The data gathered from the questionnaire were analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Simple percentage and frequency tables were used to present the data. The findings revealed that the constant encounter with social media peace information coupled with the knowledge of ascribed responsibility of individuals by the youths enhanced their level of awareness of the need to promote peace in Nigeria, thereby, enhancing peace building knowledge among the undergraduates as it has motivated them to participate in peace advocacy campaigns and shun violence. The study recommended that policymakers should leverage on social media to promote peace and security in the country by creating platforms that can facilitate peaceful dialogue and participation of youths especially undergraduates in peacebuilding initiatives as this can foster unity and peaceful co-existence among various ethno-religious divides in Nigeria.
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Wasserman, H. , Chuma, W. & Bosch, T. (2018). Print media coverage of service delivery protests in South Africa: A content analysis. African Studies, 77(1),145-156, DOI:10.1080/00020184.2018.1426312
Yamene, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd Edition). New York: Harper and Row
Zeitzoff, T. (2017). How social media is changing conflict. Journal of conflict Resolution., 6(19), 1970-1991
Adisa, T. A. & Oni, J. O. (2020). The role of social media in promoting peace advocacy in Nigeria.Journal of Global Peace and Conflict, 8(1), 38-49.
Abimbade, O.,Philip, O. & Herro, D. (2021). Millennial activism within Nigerian twitterscape: From mobilisation #ENDSARS protest. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 6 (1), 1- 20.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2021.100222
Baytiyeh, H. (2019). Social media’s role in peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery, Peace Review, 3(1), 74-82
Broome, B. & Collier, M.J. (2012). Culture, communication and peacebuilding: A reflexive multi-dimensinal contextual framework. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 5(4), 245-269.https://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2012.716858
Broome, B. (2017).Intercultural communication core theories, issues and concepts. Willey Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118783665.ieicc0059
Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (n.d.) Ritual killings for economic gain among youth in Nigeria. Bbforpeace.org
Butt, A. (2020). University student’s preference regarding social media content, internet usage and online friendship patterns. Assian Association of Open Universitis Journal, 15(2),239-249. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAOUJ-01-2020-0002
Carnegie Moscow Centre (2020). A storm in January: Implications of the recent US-Iran crisis for the global order. https://carnegie.ru/commentary/80963
Elsaesser, C.M., Patton, D.U.,Kelly, A. , Santiago, J. & Clarke, A. (2021). Avoiding fights on social media: Strategies youth leverage to navigate conflict in a digital era. Journal of Community Psychology, 49(3), 306-82
Fang, W., Chiang, Y., Ng, E., & Lo, J. (2019). Using the Norm Activation Model to predict thepro-environmental behaviours of public servants at the central and local governments in Taiwan. Sustainability 11(3), 37-42 https://www.researchgate.net>334
Fisentzou, I. (2019). Blurred lines: Social media in armed conflict: Winner of the best in category social media technology and the law . Legal information Management, 19 (1), 65-67
Foreign Affairs ( 24 August,2021). A review of “Bring Back Our Girls. https://www.foreignaffairs.com
Global Social Media Statistics (October, 2023). https://datareportal.com>social-me
Herlo, D. (2017). Connectivism, a new learning theory. Aproceeding at Edu world 7th International Conference. DOI:10.15405/epsbs.2017.05.02.41
Idris, I. (2020). Media communications on peacebuilding, social cohesion, and changing prevailing narratives on conflict. [also available on]. Independent Newspaper. (2019, March 31). NGO urges social media users to promote peace. Independent. https://independent.ng/ngo-urges-social-media-users-to-promote-peace/
Kim, J. J. & Hwang, J. (2020). Merging the norm activation model and the theory of planned behavior in the context of drone food delivery services: Does the level of product knowledge really matter?. J. Hosp. Tour. Manag.42, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2019.11.002
Lamidi,K.O. (2019). Peace building: Conceptual trajectory and imperative analyses in the third world countries. Canadian Social Sciences, 15(2), 53-64. DOI:10.3968/10843
LeFabvre, R.K. (2017). Leveraging the voices of social media for peace and security. S&F Sicherheit and Frieden, 34(4), 231-235
Milla, A.C. & Mataruna-Dos-Santos, L.J. (2019). Social media preferences, interrelations between the social media characteristics and culture: A view of Arab Nations. Asian Journal. 71, Doi:10.5539/ass.vi5n6
Nigerian Tribune (September 26, 2023). NGO trains 40 youths on usage of social media to promote peace in Kaduna. Tribuneonline.ng
Njeru, A. (2021). Role of social media on community mobilisation. Journal of Public Relations, 1(1), 40-52. DOI:https://doi.org/10.47941/jpr.655
Osatuyi, B. (2013). The role of the new media in politics: A case for Nigeria. Journal of Emerging Trends in Economics and Management Sciences, 4(1), 78-82
Oyero, O., Abdulrauf, M. O. andAmaechi, U. N. (2021). The Role of Social Media in Promoting Peace in Nigeria: Implications for Youth Engagement in Peacebuilding. International Journal of Conflict Management, 32(4), 569-589.
Palsdothir, A. (2014). Prefernces in the use of social media for seeking health and lifestyle information. 19(4), 642-657 http://informationR.net/ir/19-4/paper.html, Peacebuilding in the Niger Delta— PIND Foundation
PeaceDirect (28 March, 2023). How Nigerian women build peace through grassroots initiatives https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/how-nigerian-women-build peahttps://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/how-nigerian women-build-pea
Prabantoro, G. & Hariyanto, J. (2019). Social media preference as a media of business Marketing Communication of SMES in Rawamangun East Jakarta. Proceedings of the 5th annual International Conference on Management Research (AICMAR, 2018). http://createcommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.01
Roose, K. (2018, October 28). On Gab, an extremist-friendly site, Pittsburgh shooting suspect aired his hatred in full. The New York Times. Retrieved fromhttps://www.nytimes.com
Slater, M. D. (2015). Reinforcing spirals model: Conceptualizing the relationship between media content exposure and the development and maintenance of attitudes. Media Psychology, 18(3), 370–395. doi:10.1080/15213269.2014.897236
Smith, C.B. (2018). Building peace through the political processes of the United Nations. www.gmu>Smith_921JPS PDF
Sun, J. (2021). Research on the credibility of social media information based on user perception security and communication networks, 2021
Swiss peace, UN DPPA (2021). Social media in peace mediation: a practical framework.reliefweb.int
Tajfel, H., Billig, M. G., Bundy, R. P., & Flament, C. (1971). Social categorization and intergroup behavior. European Journal of Social Psychology, 1, 149–178.
Theophilus, E. (2022). Youth perpetuate 95% of violence in Nigeria Daily Trust (6 September, 2020) dailytrust.com
The Guardian (June 20, 2021). The renovation, reopening of Chibok school (Editorial) guardian.ng-delive
The Hootsuite’s Digital Report (2019). the global digital state report . https://wearesocialmedia.com
Ukoji, V.U, Ukoji, V.N. (2023). Trends and patterns of violence-related mortality in Nigeria: evidence from a 16-year analysis of secondary data Injury Prevention Published Online First: 21 September 2023. doi: 10.1136/ip-2023-044895
UNESCO (29 November, 2023). Transforming higher education in crises and emergencies: WISE Conference ministerial round table. https://www.unesco.org>event
United Nations Development Programme.(2021). Peacebuilding. Retrieved from https://www.undp.org/our-work/peacebuilding
Unni, C. (October 31, 2020). Who is a youth in Nigeria? Why the definition by the national youth policy 2019 is not acceptable. Thenigerialawyer.com
Vanguard News (October 21, 2020). October 20, 2020: We won’t forget. https://www.vanguardngr.com>oct
Vithayathil,J. Dadger, M. & Osiri, K. (2020). Social media use and consumer shopping preference. International Journal of Information Management, 54
Wasserman, H. , Chuma, W. & Bosch, T. (2018). Print media coverage of service delivery protests in South Africa: A content analysis. African Studies, 77(1),145-156, DOI:10.1080/00020184.2018.1426312
Yamene, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd Edition). New York: Harper and Row
Zeitzoff, T. (2017). How social media is changing conflict. Journal of conflict Resolution., 6(19), 1970-1991
Published
2025-03-24
How to Cite
Monsurat M, W., & Rasaq M, P. D. A. (2025). Social Media and Peace Information: A Case for Enhance Peace- Building Initiatives. Journal of Social Sciences and Media Studies, 8(2), 42-51. https://doi.org/10.58921/jossams.08.02.0398
Section
Articles
