Abstract

In spite of its landmarks and benefits, a lot of suspicions and skepticism are still being expressed in intellectual circles, on the effect and impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on every sector of life. The fear has been expressed, for instance, and is indeed valid, to some extent, that in line with the principles of Knowledge Gap Hypothesis, unequal access to ICTs, especially the internet, will further widen the digital divide between the information-rich and the information-poor. In Nigeria, as in many less developed countries, although access to Internet infrastructure is widening, some socio-economic consideration still make the Internet an expensive platform for many prospective patrons – which if left unaddressed - will continue to give an edge to the privileged ,urban-based and computer-savvy elite and ruling class. Besides, the scale of social interaction is already being tilted towards directions hitherto unimaginable. The attempt in this paper is to revisit and examine the dimensions of these issues and their implications for Nigeria.

Key Words: Socialization, Digital Divide, Knowledge-Gap Hypothesis, Convergence, Interactivity.

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*Dr. Dele Odunlami, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria.

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 8, No. 1, April 2016, 219 – 226