THE EFFECT OF TWITTER ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The internet is a worldwide network of connected computers that makes use of the internet protocol suite (TCPT/IP) to serve billions of users (Wikipedia, 2011). It is a network of millions of private, public, academic, corporate, and government computer networks connected by a diverse array of electrical and optical networking technologies (Castells 1996).

Castells (2001) defines the internet as a global network of computers and computer networks that enables users to share and exchange information.

According to Wikipedia (2011), the internet provides a huge array of information resources and services to support old modes of communication such as telephone and cinema, which have been redefined by the internet, resulting in the emergence of new services such as voice over internet protocol (VOIP).

According to Wikipedia (2011), newspapers, books, and other print media are adapting to internet technology or re-imagining themselves as blogs and web feeds. Through instant messaging, internet for a, and social networking, the internet has enabled or expedited new types of human engagement. http://www.oppapers.com/essays/2003.

According to Cheong & Morrison (2008), the internet enables greater flexibility in terms of working hours and places, particularly with high-speed connections and online applications. Additionally, the internet can now be accessed almost anywhere via a variety of devices, most notably mobile internet devices, mobile phones, data cards, handheld game consoles, and cellular routers, which enable users to connect to the internet from anywhere that the device's technology is supported by a network (Goldsborough, 2009).

Castells (2001) claims that given the constraints imposed by tiny displays and other restricted capabilities of such pocket-sized devices, internet services such as email and web browsing may be accessible. The services supplied and the rates for cellular data transfer may be much greater than for other modes of access.

The internet is rapidly establishing itself as the primary mode of communication and commerce in the twenty-first century, playing a critical role in transforming global communication and also having an influence on the global economic system.

According to Cheong & Morrison (2008), the internet enables greater flexibility in terms of working hours and places, particularly with high-speed connections and online applications. Additionally, the internet can now be accessed almost anywhere via a variety of devices, most notably mobile internet devices, mobile phones, data cards, handheld game consoles, and cellular routers, which enable users to connect to the internet from anywhere that the device's technology is supported by a network (Goldsborough, 2009).

Castells (2001) claims that given the constraints imposed by tiny displays and other restricted capabilities of such pocket-sized devices, internet services such as email and web browsing may be accessible. The services supplied and the rates for cellular data transfer may be much greater than for other modes of access.

The internet is rapidly establishing itself as the primary mode of communication and commerce in the twenty-first century, playing a critical role in transforming global communication and also having an influence on the global economic system.

According to McLuhan (1964), globalization has permanently altered the world in which we live, transforming it into one that is increasingly connected. Additionally, McLuhan (1964) says that the internet is possibly the most significant technology that has enabled interconnection. The internet network has lowered communication distances in terms of time and space, resulting in the emergence of social networks.

According to a survey (Goldsborough, 2008), social network utilization is growing. This rise is seen as another significant development in the history of the world's knowledge. Students were formerly considered the primary users of social media, but the majority of white-collar professionals now do as well (Kim, 2008).

According to Wikipedia (2011), the internet permitted whole new modes of social engagement, activity, and communication, owing to its fundamental characteristics such as widespread usability and access.

Numerous social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, HI5, Nimbus, 2go, Blackberry chart (Bbchart), xanga, yahoo, and Bebo, have facilitated new forms of social interaction and interaction.

The study's topic, Twitter, is one of the world's fastest growing social networks in terms of user base.

According to Shields & Maggie (2011), Twitter is an online social networking site that lets users to send and read text-based messages known as "tweets" of up to 140 characters. Jack Dorsey founded Twitter in 2006 and debuted it in July of that year (Twitter search team, 2011).

Additionally, Wikipedia (2011) reports that Twitter swiftly achieved global popularity, with 200 million users in 2011, generating over 200 million tweets daily and handling over 1.6 billion search queries. The firm that manages the service and related website is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional servers and offices in San Antonio, Texas, Boston, and New York (Twitter.com 2010).

According to the Twitter blog (2010), the 2007 south by south west festival in San Francisco was the tipping point for Twitter's popularity; during the event, Twitter usage surged from 20,000 to 60,000 tweets per day.

According to compete.com (2010), the firm grew rapidly in 2007, posting 400,000 tweets every quarter. In 2008, this increased to 100 million tweets every quarter. According to Johnson (2009), Twitter users sent 50 million tweets per day in February 2010. By March 2010, the firm had reached a peak of 750 tweets per second.

Johnson (2009), on the other hand, described the fundamental mechanics of twitter as "remarkably simple." Additionally, he stated that Twitter, as a social network, relies around its members.

According to a recent research conducted by Evan (2010), thirteen percent[13 percent] of Americans who utilized the internet used twitter, making it one of the most popular social networking services in the United States.

In several aspects, this social networking site (twitter) is a constant source of social interaction for individuals of all ages. Twitter as a social network contributes to global communication by offering online services for sharing information with others and connecting with them through the creation of a profile that may include a personal web page and a blog. Rosen (2010) argues that twitter alters behavior by producing psychological distress as a result of addiction to the social network's availability. Additionally, twitter has an effect on behavior due to the network's open nature.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Twitter as a social network is not commonly utilized by many of the students in secondary schools (Fayemi, 2014). This is because the social site is not teen-friendly; rather, it is a mature social networking site that is not comparable to Facebook. Indeed, Twitter operates significantly differently from social networks in that, rather than implying a reciprocal connection, it emphasizes one-way communication, which means you want to get information from someone in the form of tweets (twitter help center, 2011). The students emphasized that Twitter is more sophisticated in terms of language structure, i.e. the intricacy of using diction in twitter is much different from that of mobile phone text spelling; rather than abbreviating spellings, you must spell out and create conventional grammar.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of twitter on the behaviour of secondary school students. Precisely, this study seeks to:

i.          Determine the extent twitter  is being used by secondary school students.

ii.        Determine whether the use of twitter by secondary school students affects academic performance.

iii.      Determine whether twitter usage affects the social life of secondary school students.

iv.      Determine whether twitter is the most used social networking site among secondary school students.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          To what extent is twitter being used by secondary school students?

ii.        Does the use of twitter by secondary school students affects academic performance?

iii.      Does twitter usage affects the social life of secondary school students?

iv.      Is twitter the most used social networking site among secondary school students?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is crucial to the instructors, parents and students. First of all, this study will enable the instructors of the school to know the influence social networking site has on their students, so as to aid them to educate and generate awareness to the students on the probable effect it has on them. Secondly, it is of important to parents in the sense that they will know the probable impacts these social networking sites usage has on their children, so as to serve as watch-dog to their children on the usage of the social networking site. Thirdly, it will enable the students of the senior level so that they will be aware that, apart from the social benefits of this social networking site, using the sites more than required can offer possible threats to their health.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The main focus of this study is on the effect of twitter on the behaviour of secondary school students. The study will however be precisely focused on determining the extent twitter  is being used by secondary school students, determining whether the use of twitter by secondary school students affects academic performance, determining whether twitter usage affects the social life of secondary school students and determining whether twitter is the most used social networking site among secondary school students.

Students of selected secondary schools in Dala LGArea of Kano State will be the respondents of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The main focus of this study is limited to the effect of twitter on the behaviour of secondary school students. The study will however be precisely limited to determining the extent twitter is being used by secondary school students, determining whether the use of twitter by secondary school students affects academic performance, determining whether twitter usage affects the social life of secondary school students and determining whether twitter is the most used social networking site among secondary school students.

Students of selected secondary schools in Dala LGArea of Kano State will be the respondents of this study, thus the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the area.

The researcher also encountered some financial and logistics problems but was able to resolve it as this study was successfully completed.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Effect: A change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

Twitter: Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read those that are publicly available.

Behaviour: Behavior or behaviour is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in within some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as well as the inanimate physical environment.

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