THE USE AND BELIEVABILITY OF SOCIAL NETWORKS NEWS AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTHS

This study examined the use of social networks news and their level of believability among young people in Nigeria. Since social networks involve users‟ generated content, the sources and truthfulness of these contents are sometimes iffy. With the credibility problem associated with social media news, it is necessary to determine the extent to which social media users believe the news content they receive from these social networks. This study adopted the survey research design with a sample size of 300 young people. The findings show that social networks have become a major source of news among young people because of the networks‟ interactivity, connectivity, immediacy and speed of dissemination. Besides, over 70% prefer the use of social media to traditional mass media due mainly to convenience. However, the level of believability of social network is still very low; an indication of low-level credibility of the social media. It is, therefore, necessary that social network users ensure exchange of credible information and users should always crosscheck information obtained with other available sources before acceptance and possible second dissemination.Key Words: Social media, Believability, Social networks, News/information, Credibility, Youths, Nigeri