SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG STUDENTS OF TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA
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Social networking site are internet-based applications that are accessible through smartphones and
computer devices. Social networking platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram,
YouTube and Snapchat have become so popular that it is hard to find a teen or youth in the
urban centres that do not possess one or more of these applications (Lindsay, 2011; France, &
Roberts, 2015). It is an undisputed fact that these applications are changing virtually
everything now more than ever. Before this period, making friends and starting a relationship
were purely through the traditional means of face-to-face social interaction in specific places
such as school, churches, parties and clubs. But now, people also interact and make friends
with distant individuals without physical contact (Ajayi, 2010; Bailey & Barbara, 2014).
However, the negativity surrounding this development is that people may not know the true
nature of the individuals or groups they are interacting with.
Thus, social networking is also serving as a tool particularly for teen sexual predators (Livingston, Haddon, & Görzig, 2012;
Wolak, Finkelhor, Mitchell, & Ybarra, 2008 Akhuetie, Uzobo & Ogbeide, 2017). Hence, this
component of the internet; the social networking sites are fast turning into a danger zone especially
for teenagers whose online profiles often attract aggressive sexual predators.
Business Day (2013), noted that social networking accounted for, by far, more traffic of
Nigerian youth on the internet than any other services and the sex-related activities are a
major attraction. A healthy feeling of wanting to be admired, touched, loved and cared for by
another person is natural and is expected to develop in young people as they grow the social
networking is one of the platforms that create these opportunities for young adults in discussion
that may lead to the satisfaction of these needs. Media platforms provide a unique atmosphere
conducive for expression and discussion of all forms of sexuality without the traditional
oversight of parents, family members and others (Galupo, Davis, Grynkiewicz & Mitchell,
2014; Adebayo, Udegbe, & Sunmola, 2006). However, the associated risks with using social
networking such as exposing young adults to sex, having multiple sexual partners and sexting have
been found to likely lead to depression and risk of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted
diseases (Hayes, 2010; Ashiekpe & Ugande, 2017; Brown & L’Engle, 2009; Kujuni, 2012).
Most existing studies (e.g Amoo, Adetoto & Olawale-Isaac, 2013; Ashiekpe &
Ugande; 2017; Asrese & Mekonnen, 2018) investigate how social networking site influence sexual
behaviour. Nevertheless, studies examining this trend among undergraduate students seem to
be scarce.
Also, while studies (e.g Brown & L’Engle, 2009; Broom & Allen, 2017) have
investigated the use of social networking and how it affects sexual behaviour in other developed
climes, there seems to be little study examining the same issue in Nigeria especially among
undergraduate students. Thus, given the different level of exposure to the social media by
undergraduate students in Nigeria, there is need to also investigate how social networking use
influences the sexual behaviour of undergraduate students in a Nigerian university. Thus,
findings from this study will help strengthen the National Reproductive Health Policy which
aims to ensure the availability and accessibility to full sexual and reproductive health
information and quality services. The study was guided by the question; to what extent do
social networking use influence sexual behaviour among undergraduate students in Nigeria?
This study on social networking sites and sexual behaviour among students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, adopted a cross-sectional survey to study 195 undergraduate students in the Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State, Nigeria between September to October 2019. The study recruited 195 undergraduate students to be part of the study. In selecting the sample, the simple random sampling technique was employed to randomly pick two (2) Departments each from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Education and Management Sciences and one each from the other faculties. Furthermore, the stratified sampling technique was used to further divide the students into two (2) groups; male and female. Lastly, the simple random sampling