Role of X (Twitter) in Fostering Political Engagement among Lagos State University Students

Abstract

In the contemporary landscape of political communication, social media platforms have become indispensable channels for shaping public opinion, mobilizing support, and fostering political engagement. Among these platforms, Twitter stands out as a prominent arena where political discourse flourishes, facilitating communication and interaction among political figures and citizens of a particular country. This study examines the role of witter in fostering political engagement among Lagos State university students. The Technological Determinism theory served as the theoretical framework of the study, while the Survey Research Method was used and the questionnaire administered via google forms, served as the instrument of data collection. The population of this study comprised of Lagos state university students and the laro Yamane formula was used to calculate a sample size of 396 respondents for this study. Available sampling technique was used to select respondents who partook in this study. Findings showed that a substantial proportion, constituting (80.1%) of respondents use Twitter for political engagement. Findings also revealed that majority of respondents view Twitter as an effective platform for raising political awareness, holding political leaders and institutions accountable, and organizing and mobilizing for political causes. Based on the findings, the paper recommends the implementation of programs to further enhance students' digital literacy skills, including critical thinking and media literacy, to empower them to navigate political discourse on Twitter effectively.