Social media: a cure or a cause of aliteracy in undergraduates of federal University of Technology Owerri

Abstract

The paper examined social media to see whether they are a cure or a cause to aliteracy in undergraduate of Federal University of Technology Owerri. Survey research method was adopted for this study. Data were obtained through questionnaire administered to a sample size of 346 students derived from a total population of 2563 using Yarro Yamanne statistical formula and selected through simple random sampling technique. Mean value differentials were used to analysed the data. The findings of the study indicate that social media causes aliteracy as students do not have enough time to read their books while they made use of social media sites. Although some of them have time to read books, but only books concerned to their course of study and finally that it has not in any way increased their desire to read and write. Based on the findings it was concluded that social media causes aliteracy in undergraduates and it was recommended that to curb this aliteracy in undergraduates, readers club should be encouraged and made mandatory.

Keywords: Social, Media, Aliteracy, Undergraduates, University, Technology