Effect of Social Media Addiction on Reading Culture: A Study of Nigerian Students

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social media addiction on the reading culture of Nigerian students in higher institutions of learning. An online survey was sent to 1500 students of higher institutions in Nigeria during the Lockdown necessitated by the outbreak of the dreaded Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic. A total of 1300 questionnaires were completed and returned. This implies an 86.7% return rate. Data were analyzed using graphical charts. The findings of the study showed that social media mostly used by the student include Facebook, followed by WhatsApp, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, WordPress, Snapchat, Reddit, respectively; while 75.3% of the students use the social media daily, 92.3% of them access the social media via their mobile phones. The study also found 97% using social media for the purpose of chatting with friends and family. While 79% of the students indicate they read mainly to pass exams, only 43% read books daily. 67.3% indicated that they rarely visit the library. A massive 84.4% strongly agreed that social media has a negative effect on reading habits. The researchers, therefore, concluded that as the world’s economy is becoming more knowledge-based, the future of the country is unpredictable except something drastic is done to tackle the decline headlong. It was therefore recommended that lecturers should use social media to teach, give assignments to students, and create reading groups. Libraries should make their services and resources accessible to students through their mobile devices. Seminars to motivate students to read and research should be organized. Parents should monitor their children reading at home and take their children out to libraries instead of shopping malls or cinemas.