SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN ENABLER FOR MISINFORMATION: LAGOSIANS PERCEPTION OF WHATSAPP MESSAGES ON COVID-19

Different researchers have shown that people get information that supports their beliefs, that makes them victims for misinformation. The way information is produced, shared and received on social media especially Whatsapp is a center for research works. Social media platforms (Whatsapp) have been widely used to push misinformation through text, info graphics, videos, voice notes, and Whatsapp platforms share messages that can be copied with ease and spread rapidly by Whatsapp users which has the power to increase the different ways to cause harm if
information sent on this app isn’t verified. However, little to no attention has been paid to WhatsApp and misinformation on COVID-19. This study looks at social media as an enabler for misinformation: Lagosians on perception of WhatsApp messages on COVID-19. With the aim of explaining what misinformation is all about in general, as well the role of social media and misinformation and social media users and the spread of misinformation. This survey research method has been adopted with the use of online questionnaires as the research instrument for the
random sampling techniques in Ikorodu Local Government area of Lagos state, Nigeria. 400 questionnaires was distributed -online among the residents of Ikorodu through Google forms and all was retrieved back successfully and analyzed for the purpose of the study, using frequency, tables and percentage. According to the result gotten from the data analyzed, it was shown that majority of the respondents believed WhatsApp as an authentic source of information because of the types of COVID-19 messages they received on WhatsApp and it also shows that majority of the respondents do not verify the type of messages they get on WhatsApp. Therefore social media users need to be aware with what they receive and what they share and also be able to verify messages they get through any fact checking sites.

File Type: pdf
Categories: Mass Communication, Undergraduate
Author: OLATUNJI KOYINSOLA KEHINDE
Downloads: 5