Abstract

The level of political cynicism is rising drastically in many countries including Nigeria. At the same time, there is massive increase in the use of social media not only to connect with family and friends but also to get news and political information. This study therefore, examines whether political and social uses of social media promote political cynicism. This study is anchored on social responsibility theory and ecology and the library research method was used. The research objectives were to find out if social media drive political cynicism and if the use of social media for political news increases political cynicism. Findings revealed that using social media for political purposes increases individuals’ level of political cynicism while social use of social media does increase the likelihood that people incidentally encounter political news, such incidental exposure does not subsequently make users more cynical.

Key Words: Political Cynicism, Social Media, Nigeria, Politics

About the Authors

*    Ngozi Comfort Omojunikanbi, Ph.D., is a Lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She has research interest in Journalism and Media, Health Communication, Crisis Communication and Political Communication.

** Victor Charles Njinmah, Ph.D., LLB, is the Chairman of The Njinmah Foundation Inc, a division of The Njinmah Group AG. Hamburg Germany. He is a freelance journalist, motivational speaker, graphic and web developer with intensive interest in multimedia.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 15, No. 1, Special Issue 3, July 2023, pp. 102-108

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Omojunikanbi, N. C. & Njinmah, V. C. (2023). Do political and social uses of social media promote political cynicism in Nigeria?  Journal of Communication and Media Research, 15 (1, SP.3): 102-108.

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