Parametric Assessment of Social media’s role in IPOB Secessionist’s Agitations in Nigeria

Abstract

Improvement in internet capacity had led to the creation of various social media platforms. The various social media platforms influenced how individuals, groups and communities interacted with each other and events in their environment. Therefore, this study assessed the influence of social media on secessionist agitations in Nigeria. The study is anchored on the cultivation theory, and adopts the survey research as the suitable methodology. The study found out that consumers of Biafra social media contents, apart from interacting with the contents, also interrogate the contents. The study also found out that consumers of social media contents who were supporters of the secessionist group rely on perceived beliefs to argue in support of the veracity of the consumed-contents, even if there had been facts to argue against the authenticity of such contents. The study concluded that social media reinforce perceived beliefs through consumed contents. Given the above, it is recommended that government should regulate social media contents, especially, the ones that ginger and stimulate separatists’ agitations.