Youth Identity, Peer Influence and Internet Crime Participation in Nigeria: A Reflection

The increasing relevance of youth participation in the e-environment and invariably the use of cyber technology has been remarkably accentuated by many scholars. Lately, the affinity inherent in the triad of youth, cyber technology and e-business banding together to form the driving force of progress in the modern economy have also been considerably recognized. However, the unanticipated consequences of the synergy between each of these components are yet to be explored in details. This paper, having identified this gap therefore, explores an aspect involving the intent of youths in their utilization of cyber technology and locates this in the appropriation of the gains in the e-business environment to generate diverse desired ends. The existence of both standardized and non-standardized behaviours in the use of e-technologies has steadily increased the vulnerability of gamut of users in the cyber community. In cognizance of this development, this paper locates the surge in Nigeria’s youth’s interest in manipulating the Internet for private gains in expressive identity that is both promoting independence and creativity among the studied group. The theoretical anchorage links fraud attraction to the nature of the social psychological composition of the youths. Finally, the paper concluded that though the increase in technological innovations has been of tremendous advantages to the youth population and the society at large, it has also constituted serious challenges in terms of technologically enhanced crime. These crimes include the cyber fraud characteristic of the youth population in many developing nations. This study proffered some pragmatic solutions to the challenges relating to youth-cyber fraud connection