Availability and Use of Internet by Undergraduate Students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Nigeria.

AVAILABILITY AND USE OF INTERNET BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF AMBROSE ALLI UNIVERSITY EKPOMA, NIGERIA.

SUBMITTED TO THE

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION
NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVRSITY, AWKA

IN

PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

A MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN MASS COMMUNICATION
BY
IFIDON, EBAHI D.U.
MATRIC NO 2006126OO5F

SUPERVISOR
PROFESSOR ONUORA NWUNELI

CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that the thesis entitled: Availability And Use Of Internet By Undergraduate Students Of Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, Nigeria, and submitted by Ifidon, Ebahi D. U. of Matric No. 2006126OO5F for the award of Master of Science in Mass Communication, embodies original work done by her under my supervision.

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Prof. Onuorah Nwuneli Dr. Kate Azuka Omenugha

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(Dean,School of Postgraduate Studies) (External Examiner)

APPROVAL PAGE
This work titled “Availability and Use of Internet by Undergraduate Students of Ambrose Alli University Students, Ekpoma, Nigeria” was approved by the Department of Mass Communication.

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Prof. Onuorah Nwuneli Dr. Kate Azuka Omenugha

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(Dean,School of Postgraduate Studies) (External Examiner)

............................................................................................................... Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences

DEDICATION
This thesis is dedicated to my dear parents Professor S. E. and Dr (Mrs) E. I. Ifidon who have shown the greatest love I could ever have asked for. They have been my source of inspiration.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My most immense gratitude goes to The Lord Almighty who has provided me with the strength, endurance and resources during the course and for the completion of this MSc program.
There are a number of people without whom this thesis might not have been written, and to whom I am greatly indebted
Professor Gregory Nwuneli has been the ideal thesis supervisor. His sage advice, insightful criticisms, and patient encouragement aided the writing of this thesis in innumerable ways. His tutelage throughout the programme gave me a different perspective to academics. I remain forever indebted to him. I would also like to thank Dr. Kate Omenugha, the HOD for her firm and constructive criticisms during the course of the programme. I also wish to thank some of my lecturers; Dr Udeze, Mr. Ebeze, and not forgetting Mr. Allen, for their guidance during the masters programme.
I will not fail to acknowledge the immense assistance of my class coordinator, Uche Ekwugha. She gave me so much encouragement when I was losing hope; and cheered me on even in the toughest period. I also thank my course mates, they have all been a source of motivation in one way or the other.
My loving thanks go to my precious husband, Eguono Ekuerhare for his moral, financial and spiritual support. Though it was a painful period staying apart from each other, I am grateful to the Almighty for giving you to me, a wonderful and true human being, a rare gem in present times.
I owe my parents enormous gratitude for their constant encouragement, prayers and reassurance. They have continuously shown me that there is no other path to success than hardwork, perseverance and dedication.
I would not have completed this work without the assistance of the staff and students of the University of Hull, UK especially Mr. Aderanti Olowoshoke, for helping me out with their computer library and also making use of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
I would also like to thank those who agreed to fill out the questionnaire (students of Ambrose Alli University), for, without your time and cooperation, this project would not have been possible.
This is not forgetting the library staff of AAU who gave a hand in the distribution and collection of the questionnaire. I thank you all for your assistance.
Last but not the least, my gratitude goes out to all my siblings for their love and care towards me especially Ilofuan Ifidon and his fiancée Izegbuwa Okosun for lending a helping hand during my stay in Hull.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------i
Certification ----------------------------------------------------------------------------ii
Approval Page ------------------------------------------------------------------------iii
Dedication ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv
Acknowledgement ----------------------------------------------------------------- v-vi
Table of contents ------------------------------------------------------------------vii-viii
Abstract------------------------------------------------------------------------------ix
Chapter One 1.1 Introduction ------------------------------------------------1-11
1.2 Problem Statement --------------------------------------------------------------11
1.3 Purpose of the Study -------------------------------------------------------------12
1.4 Objectives of the Study ----------------------------------------------------------12-13
1.5 Research Questions -------------------------------------------------------------13
1.6 Significance of the Study --------------------------------------------------------13
1.7 Scope of the Study ---------------------------------------------------------------14
1.8 Definition of Terms ---------------------------------------------------------------14-16
Chapter Two Literature Review/Theoretical Framework ----------------17
2.1 Uses and Gratification Theory -----------------------------------------------17-18
2.2 Objectives of Uses and Gratification Theory --------------------------------18-19
2.3 Weaknesses of Uses and Gratification Theory -------------------------------19-20
2.4 Empirical tests of Uses and Gratification Theory --------------------------20-24

Chapter Three Research Methodology -------------------------------------26
3.1 Research Design ---------------------------------------------------------------26
3.2. Research Setting ----------------------------------------------------------------26
3.3 Research Population -------------------------------------------------------------27
3.4 Sample and Sampling Procedure -----------------------------------------------27
3.5 Measurable Variables -----------------------------------------------------------28
3.6 Measuring Instrument -----------------------------------------------------------28
Chapter Four Data Presentation, Analysis and Discussion of Findings -29
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis----------------------------------31
4.2 Findings and Discussion of Analysis--------------------------------49
Chapter Five Discussion/Conclusion and Recommendations ------------55
5.1 Recommendations ---------------------------------------------------------------57
References ---------------------------------------------------------------------58
Appendix--------------------------------------------------------------------68

ABSTRACT
The internet technology has rapidly gained different forms of human association which is clearly seen in the way youths interact and communicate over the internet. This feature in the use of social network sites by youths to develop a large community of friends which is not limited to ethnic groups or races, thus it is observed that the internet has helped to develop friendship across globes. The vast information over the net covers all areas of human endeavour ,which has made it easier for everyone to get information about just any topic, and is the reason why a good number of research students make use of the internet to get information on topics of research as well as for personal development. It is obvious that many universities in Nigeria are trying to see how they can improve the level of internet usage and availability for both students and lecturers alike. The main objectives of this study were; to ascertain the level of availability of internet services, to assess the familiarity of students with the internet, to study the internet facility put in place by the university and to also ascertain the knowledge and utilization of social networking sites. The uses and gratification theory which attempts to explain why the mass media are used and the type of gratification that the media generate was examined. Related literature in relation to the study was reviewed. The survey method was used in this study with 200 copies of questionnaire distributed and collated at the end. The findings showed that AAU students were constrained in one way or the other in relation to the use of the internet. The study found out that AAU students actually made use of the internet in their academic development and to gratify other needs like entertainment.

Chapter One INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Technologies, such as computers and the Internet, have become enmeshed in young people's lives. They have been perceived to enhance youth learning and empowerment. The emergence of the internet no doubt is a plus to all facets of life especially with the rise in technological breakthroughs and these facets include the growth and development of youths in our society. Modern information communication technology like the internet arguably has great benefits to everyone especially the youths. This certainly brings a lot to bear on their all-round development.
The internet means different things to different people. Everyone seems to be talking about the internet – students, lecturers, advertisers, consumers etc. Instructors in the academic field all have something of value to do on the internet; a profound understanding of the context still seems far from us.
There has been an explosive growth of Internet usage worldwide and this is expected to continue with its use becoming an integral part of everyday life. The Internet provides tremendous educational benefits for everyone with the millions of online journals and vast array of information that cuts across all subjects; thus its tremendous use by the youths in higher institutions.
Despite popular claims to the contrary, recent reports suggest that the Internet has begun to serve as an information resource and community-building tool for civic engagement and political participation among young Americans (Rainie &Horrigan, 2005). Adolescents are increasingly using the Internet to find information on political news, issues, candidates or campaigns (Rainie, Horrigan, & Cornfield, 2005). Not only is the internet used for the aforementioned by adolescents, they also use it for academic and developmental purposes; this goes a long way to show that the youths of present day make use of the internet for differing and varied uses.
There have been reported criticisms of the negative effects of the internet on the youths, but despite the condemnation as to the influence of the Internet on children and adolescents, it may be playing a positive role in their development.
The internet technology is rapidly gaining credit which is clearly seen in the way youths interact and communicate over the internet. This feature in the use of social network sites by youths to develop a large community of friends, which is not limited to ethnic groups or races, thus it is observed that the internet has helped to develop friendship across globes.
The vast information over the net covers all areas of human endeavor which has made it easier for people to get information about just any topic, and the reason why a good number of research students make use of the internet to get information on topics of research as well as for personal development.
Dahlgren and Gurevitch (2005) posit that “the internet promises and delivers a lot. It can empower, it can widen our worlds, it can offer us seemingly endless amounts of information, and it can help us get in touch with people who share our interests. It can entertain, it can tantalize, it can tempt. It can also absorb and engulf us, drenching us in more information than we can ever use. It can promote our identities as consumers, but also, with some effort on our part, allow us to cultivate our identities as citizens.”
In recent times, it has been detected that from time to time, youths are engaged in computer trainings either in their various higher institutions or on a private basis. This is done for empowerment and at the end of the day self-development. The benefits of the training would not only be for their immediate benefit while in the school but for future purposes as most employers ask for computer literacy as a job requirement. As of June 2010, approximately 6,845,609,960 people worldwide use the Internet (Internet World Statistics).
The internet however has a lot to offer youths in their developmental stages, from their academic pursuit, to their information thirsty appetite for what is happening in their environment (political, economic and social). Technological advancement and the use of the internet by youths has obviously changed the way things are done, most times students actually go online to make researches concerning various topics, from the arts, to the sciences, humanities and even social sciences, this is however the reason for the drop in the number of students who make use of the libraries.
This technological growth and advancement in this present age has given rise to the name ‘information age’ though clichéd, but appropriately referred to as ICT. It is an age characterized by an ever-changing information technological revolution, which has amounted to the concept of ‘information superhighways’ on which every sector of the society is dependent. This information superhighway way has shrunk the globe, to the extent that the world is now but ‘a global city’. Studies have shown that the expansion of computer and e-mail are one of the fastest growing technologies. This has made enormous amounts of information readily available to us with the click of a mouse, the reason behind the numerous uses that youth make of the internet in their developmental process. Large numbers of people make use of the internet for sending and receiving e-email messages between friends and even their lecturers.
Technology has certainly given a powerful push to globalization in which development is an integral part.
What is the internet, its workings and its usages?
The internet has vast and varied definitions. Authors have made several attempts at defining what the internet is. “The internet is a network of computer networks. A system that combines computers from all over the world into one big computer that you can operate from your own PC”, Dominick (2002)
Agba (2000) sees the internet as a global communication infrastructure, which enables any computer connected to it to communicate with any other computer connected to the internet at electronic speed regardless of geographical location. Just defining the internet will be overly encompassing, in the true sense of things, though, the internet means different things to different people. According to Angleman, (2000) the internet is “a vast interconnected network of networks joined together in a common protocol”. For an internet user with limited access, the internet is likely to mean electronic mail only. To those with more extensive connections, the internet means electronic mail, World Wide Web, surfing, browsing and a whole lot of other services.
The internet however becomes very dependent on how the individual accesses and interacts with it, what use it is put to, and the particular point in space where all of these happen to the user. This shares a close resemblance with the phone system in which when you make a call in one part of a country to another, the call is routed through several different phone networks in different parts of the country. When you send a mail, chat online or browse, several different networks may handle your messages. So, just as there is one phone company, there is also one Internet company or provider.
USES OF THE INTERNET
Usage of the Internet is becoming more common due to the rapid advancement of technology and the power of globalization. Societies are becoming more inter-connected. Thoughts from different cultures are shared through the use of Internet chat rooms and web postings. Study results also track the most popular uses of the Internet: “this year's study shows that e-mailing is the top task conducted online, followed by general surfing, reading news, shopping, and seeking entertainment news" (Joshua 2005). It can be summarized that the Internet is now being used for common, everyday tasks that would have normally taken more time to complete.
The Internet can be conceived as a rich, multi-layered, complex, ever-changing textual environment. The Internet provides several opportunities for the academia. It is a mechanism for information dissemination and a medium for collaborative interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic limitation of space (Leiner et al., 2000; Singh, 2002). Content created on the Internet ranges from simple e-mail messages to sophisticated 'documents' (sites) incorporating sounds, images and words (Evans, 1996). The Internet is a 'live', constantly 'moving', theoretically borderless, potentially infinite space for the production and circulation of information.
The uses which the internet is being put are vast and varied. The internet no doubt means different things to different people and the uses which they make of the internet are also different.
Internet And Youth Development In Nigeria
Development continues to remain a very important issue as it generates a burning living interest, because of the passionate interest for and against it in developed and developing communities. Development is a phenomenon with parallels in its impacts on the human mind and conduct as the subject is intricate, often controversial in an era when people are seeking its understanding and accomplishment.
Akpovi (2003) stated, “development cannot be conceived on physical, economic or qualitative terms based on noticeable growth. Development is very wide. It means a general improvement in the life of the people”. (p.43)
The lives of youth today presents a wide range of educational, family, employment and health experiences that depart in major ways from those of youth one or two generations ago. These different experiences can be attributed to the effects of globalization, technological advances and widespread economic development.
One can define ‘youth development’ as: ...the ongoing growth process in which all youth are engaged in attempting to (1) meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful, and be spiritually grounded, and (2) to build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives.
The term ICT (Information and Communications Technology) is fast becoming a popular one in the country today. In fact, one of the greatest achievements of the present government which has been repeatedly touted at many symposia, press conferences and party conventions is the remarkable in-road made in the telecommunications sector in form of the Global System of Mobile (GSM) Communication revolution.
Empowering youth in the field of Information Communication technology is also part and parcel of development in youth. Recently, groups and bodies have come up with programmes to empower youths in the area of ICT, by training and giving them soft loans as starter packs for small and medium businesses.
A 2007 guardian article, “NGO empowers youths with ICT raining” stated that this was done towards the development of youths in the Niger-Delta region, in a bid to reduce unemployment and curb the worrisome problem of youth restiveness which would launch them towards economic growth and development.
ICT holds a lot of potentials for economic growth for Nigeria and her growing youthful population. More investment has to be made in the ICT sector; subsidies have to be introduced to reduce the exorbitant cost of acquisition of ICT education in our country today.
Youth development requires education that ultimately leads to awareness which embraces effective, cognitive and skill areas of attitude, values and behaviour. Schools should therefore be a forum for youths to develop and clarify beliefs, attitudes and values that can enhance development (Akpovi, 2003). It can also prepare them for life careers and opportunities to secure jobs.
Youth development in the context of this study is the all round academic process which the students of AAU undergo, especially as regards their curriculum, internet utilization inclusive. With the pace of globalization, tertiary institutions have resorted to making use of ICT in order to meet up with the world’s fast growing technological development.
In order for the youths of Nigeria to be information-empowered, there has to be greater access to ICT tools, there has to be an unobstructed free flow of information. This unfortunately is not the case as at present in Nigeria. Public Internet access, especially in schools is an important public good deserving political and financial support.
As much as 60% of our university and polytechnic graduates do not know how to use a computer, even in cases where the opportunities abound. Another one of the objectives of the Nigerian national IT Policy is "to build a mass pool of IT-literate manpower using the NYSC, NDE and other platforms as "Train The Teacher" scheme (TTT) for capacity building". However this has not worked either.
The Internet and Portal Systems in Higher Institutions
The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location.
The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of information infrastructure. Beginning with the early research in packet switching, the government, industry and academia have been partners in evolving and deploying this exciting new technology. Today, terms like "bleiner@computer.org" and "http://www.acm.org" trip lightly off the tongue of the average person on the street.
Some African universities have hardly benefited from technological advancement and thus remain digitally-isolated from the rest of the world. This is due to government neglect and misguided views on the role of the market in facilitating Internet access as well as poor management decision as regards what is of utmost importance to the growth and development of the university and the students inclusive, technology wise.
Some faculties and departments have no reliable Internet access. African universities have the Internet capability of a group of households in developed countries. It is not uncommon to find university lecturers relying on commercial Internet cafés for their regular business communications. But high prices and unreliable access have hobbled the use of the Internet as an effective learning and research tool.
The state of affairs in AAU as regards internet connectivity and access is no different from the picture painted above about most African universities. Even the library which is thought to be automated has few or no computers for both the students and the lecturers to use. Constantly, the portal system is faced with one problem or the other. Some times students are unable to access their personal data on the Net or even ascertain if payments have been effected online.
Ambrose Alli University operates a portal system known as Socket Works where the data of both students and staff are contained. Students register their courses, pay school fees and other bills through the portal system. Their accommodation and admission processes are also carried out online, but the fact still remains that as a developing nation with shortcomings in the technological terrain, numerous problems are encountered while making use of the internet to process these operations.
First, and perhaps of greatest importance to students and lecturers as well is the e-mail. Computer connectivity between nations has allowed a new form of correspondence to evolve and this, though seldom noticed, has changed people's daily lives the world over. Academics now send more words to others, more often, than ever before. While the technicalities of the university has contributed to an increase in 'busy work' of all kinds (including memoranda and correspondence), e-mail seems to have exacerbated the effects of this trend.
E-mail has conferred some wonderful advantages. It is now possible to communicate easily and rapidly with people thousands of miles away. E-mail has become a seemingly indispensable part of people's lives, and correspondence by post seems tedious and slow by comparison. Yet, perhaps because e-mail, in removing previous barriers of geography and distance, reduces some of the perceived burdens of the old paper and post systems, it is used almost incessantly.
Also not left out is the chat-room which so many students busy themselves with. Whether it is of academic relevance to students or not is yet to be ascertained. With the use of web cam, they are able to see themselves regardless of geographical location.
State of the Internet in Nigeria
Times and things have indeed changed, and globalization has since become a buzz word, and has brought with it change and competition. People's lives have been variously affected either for the better or for the worse; depending on the side of the divide one finds himself or herself. Although Africa and the rest of the developing world (sounds better than the clichéd 3rd world designation) may say that they are still in the dark, judging from the present state of internet installation and utilization of the internet, it can be said that Nigeria is moving on the fast lane as regards the internet.
The internet has continued to grow worldwide in terms of users and penetration. Although developed countries still account for the majority of internet users and have the highest internet penetration, developing countries are slowly catching up.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Information Economy Report (2007-2008), “while in 2002 internet penetration in developed economies was ten times higher than in developing economies, in 2006 it was six times higher. Countries with economies in transition had the highest annual internet penetration growth rates between 2002 and 2006”.
In Nigeria, the government is taking steps to improve internet penetration, through a combination of ICT for development policies to improve ICT access and skills, regulatory reforms to increase the offer of services and competition thus fostering investments in infrastructure and in the ICT sector.
Internet by enterprises, schools, organizations and parastatals continue to grow just as the number of employees using the internet in their daily work increases too. A lot of them have websites and portal systems for keeping up to date record of their activities and also for advertising their dealings to the world.
Nigeria is the most populous country on the African continent but its growth and development has not synchronized with its size. The reasons are not farfetched, bad leaders, misuse of resources, and misappropriation of government funds just to mention a few.
Internet sector has been hindered by the country’s underdeveloped and unreliable fixed-line infrastructure, but this is changing as competition intensifies and new technologies are able to deliver wireless broadband access. From the internet world statistics, “more than 400 ISPs have been licensed as well as a number of data carriers, Internet exchange and gateway operators. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is already carrying the bulk of Nigeria’s international voice traffic. The current deployment of the country’s first Next Generation Networks (NGN) will drive further convergence of voice, data and video/TV, enabling the provision of triple-play services that will ultimately also involve the country’s already competitive broadcasting sector”.
The Old Media (Legacy Media) Versus the New Media
The old media or legacy media are traditional means of communication and expression that have existed since, before the advent of the new medium of the Internet. Industries that are generally considered part of the old media are broadcast and cable television, movie and music studios, newspapers, books and most print publications. Many of those industries are now less profitable than they used to be and this has been attributed to the growth of the new media, however, most of them interestingly now upload their news on their website.
The wonderful thing about the Internet is that nobody controls it. And if you can’t control the medium, you can’t control the message. That seems obvious enough in this age of 100 million blogs, YouTube, Digg, and Twitter mania, to mention a few. And in Nigeria, with the economic crunch it has become profitable to browse through several papers online at a cheaper price than it is to buy the same.
The battle between the old and the new media is like the difference between knowing something, and being able to do something about it—in this case changing your own ingrained habits and convincing colleagues (many of whom grew up in the broadcast era) to do the same. And we could argue that this is a plus for the old media, however with a growing populace on the information technology highway, the statistic is dwindling.
New media is defined by a machine-based economic model. It is cheaper to plug in a bank of servers and run software to publish content than it is to hire editors, manage journalists, and carry all the other employee related expenses of healthcare, pensions, offices, etc.
Google is a machine-based media. It uses servers and software to harvest and publish content and then sell advertising around it.
The youths worldwide and of course in the developing economies, of which Nigeria is a part, have a role to play in this evolution. And its success and otherwise is part of what this study looks at using a micro academic community as its base line study.
THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
A social network service focuses on building online communities of people who share interests and activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are web based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services.
Although press coverage and academic studies have largely focused on social networking sites and young people, and use is particularly prevalent among younger people (children and under-34s), use of social networking sites cuts across all age groups
Social networking has created new ways to communicate and share information. Social networking websites are being used regularly by millions of people, and it now seems that social networking will be an enduring part of everyday life. The main types of social networking services are those which contain directories of some categories (such as former classmates), means to connect with friends (usually with self-description pages), and recommender systems linked to trust. Popular methods now combine many of these, with MySpace and Face book being the most widely used in North America; Nexopia (mostly in Canada); Bebo, Facebook, Hi5, MySpace, Tagged, Xing; and Skyrock in parts of Europe.
Social networking sites offer people new and varied ways to communicate via the internet, whether through their PC or their mobile phone. They allow people to easily and simply create their own online page or profile and to construct and display an online network of contacts, often called ‘friends’. Users of these sites can communicate via their profile both with their ‘friends’ and with people outside their list of contacts. This can be on a one-to-one basis (much like an email), or in a more public way such as a comment posted for all to see.
Like other communications tools, social networking sites have certain rules, conventions and practices which users have to navigate to make themselves understood and avoid difficulties. These range from the etiquette of commenting on other people's profiles to understanding who one does and doesn’t add as a ‘friend’. Social networking sites also have some potential pitfalls to negotiate, such as the unintended consequences of publicly posting sensitive personal information, confusion over privacy settings, and contact with people one doesn’t know.
1.2 Problem Statement
Presently, access to the internet by students is mostly through the services offered by cyber cafes. What this means is that majority of students would only gain access to the internet, by visiting these cyber cafes which are also known as business centres, or by making use of their university portal system before they can gain access to the internet.
Also an increasing number of academic commentators are becoming interested in studying Facebook, MySpace, Tagged, Youtube and other social networking tools. Social science researchers have begun to investigate what the impact of this might be on society. Typical articles have investigated issues such as * Identity * Privacy * E-learning * Social capital * Teenage use
Making use of the internet by students is part of an active learning practice and procedure which would take the student higher in their aspiration for greater heights in their academics vis a vis meeting up with the technological advancement.
What this study basically seeks to find out is the availability of the internet to the students of AAU, this is the main thrust of this research work also, if they are exposed to the use of social networking sites, at what level, and of what significant extent is the utilization of such.
1.3 Purpose of the study
The work examines the primary purposes for which students in the University use the Internet for and how such usage can impact on not just their academic pursuits but youth development as a part of national development.
The study equally aims at using Ambrose Ali University findings to indicate how in the future the profile of education will be changed, mostly the students’ ability not only to access the Internet and or take their courses via Internet. But that the young generation is exposed to Internet at very early ages and this will rapidly increase Internet usage in the near future.
University education is geared towards the production of completely intellectually capable and independent minded learning and research oriented students, thus the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for acquisition, processing and dissemination of information, university teaching, learning and research can no longer be restricted to information materials available to students dominical institutions library or by extension, those materials made available through inter-lending
However with globalization through the Internet, Carbo (2003) noted that the world is shrinking resulting to immediacy of information. Thus, multimedia resources can be created, and information can be communicated instantaneously. This study will look at the impact of such on not just the spectrum of communication, but also academics and youth development.
The mode of acquiring and disseminating information for university education changed from physically available prints to e-materials with virtual reality. As a result of that Akintunde, (2002) asserts that any attempt to have meaningful academic communication can be successful only by the use of ICT which presents information in real time and space.
It therefore entails that the Nigerian youth cannot afford to be left behind.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
This study set out to investigate the use of the Internet as an ICT tool in the university environment. The aim was to identify the success of internet utilization by the students in the University.
The following however are the objectives behind this study;
1. To ascertain the level of availability of internet services.
2. To find out the uses which students make of the internet.
3. To assess the familiarity of the students with the internet
4. To find out what internet facility has been put in place by the institution.
5. To investigate the knowledge and utilization of social networking sites or blogs by the students.
1.5 Research Questions
The following are the research questions to be used in giving direction to the study;
1. What is the availability level of internet services in AAU?
2. What do AAU students use the internet for?
3. How often do students make use of the internet?
4. Does the university have internet services?
5. Are AAU students aware of social networking sites?
1.6 Significance of the study
If today’s world is fast paced and we agree that much of this is attributable to the surge in Information Technology, we must agree that the youths who form a sizable fraction of the World’s population and Nigeria being part of that, we cannot turn a blind eye to the significance of the internet and its growth in the scheme of things.
Several series of initiatives that have to do with the internet and youth development, anchored by both federal and state governments’ as well as programmes by the management of higher institutions, is enough to show how emphatic the issue is.
The significance of this study amongst other things includes;
- The study is timely, as it would give an insight into the true picture of things as regards students and what use they make of the internet.
- Findings from this study would assist the management of the institution (Ambrose Alli University) in addressing issues associated with the availability of the internet and its uses in the academic environment.
- This study aims at empowering the youths in the academic environment which would help to integrate them into the cycle of development and in this case, technological development.
- Findings from this study would serve as reference points especially as regards funding allocation to schools from bodies, organizations (government and non-government) individuals, federal, states and local governments.
- This study aims at propelling bigger research bodies to carry out studies in related fields to ensure adequate and complete knowledge in the research area.
- The findings from the research would help in improving the situation on ground alongside recommending better options for the development of the youth (students) in the area of internet utilization.
1.7 Scope of Study
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma is one of the higher institutions in Edo State, with a number of faculties and departments.
However, for the purpose of this study a relatively manageable proportion from the general population was used to represent the entire population. There are ten faculties in the university and two departments from each faculty were administered with the questionnaire.
1.8 Definition of Terms
1. ICT-Information Communication Technology
ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them.
In this study the internet falls under ICT, which is a communication and information technology as well, used by student for a range of purposes.
2. Internet Usage
It is the ‘Global information System’ that provides accessibility to the internet and its services, using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). The internet usage here deals with the computer and its interconnectedness to a server for the purpose of getting information via the net. The information gotten by the students from the net as it relates to this work is basically for development purposes.
3. Portal System
A portal is a central place for making all types of information accessible to an audience of varying range. Portals generally try to provide a rich navigation structure. Portals provide a single point of access to aggregated information. The portal concept has been applied to general audiences on the Web, to organization-private Web sites, and to specialized online communities of practice. The primary goal of most portals is ease-of-use.
Most universities have their portals which provide information for students, staff and visitors alike, and a collection of both staff and students details.
4. Social Networking Sites
At the most basic level, social networking sites are sites which allow users to set up online profiles or personal homepages, and develop an online social network.
The profile page functions as the user’s own webpage and includes profile information ranging from their date of birth, gender, religion, politics and hometown, to their favourite films, books quotes and what they like doing in their spare time. In addition to profile information, users can design the appearance of their page, and add content such as photos, video clips and music files. Examples of social networking sites are Face book, my space and Hi5 etc.

5. Youth Development
Youth development is defined as the ongoing process in which all young people are engaged. Through youth development, young people attempt to meet their basic personal and social needs and to build competencies necessary for successful adolescent and adult life. It is an approach, framework, a way to think about young people that focuses on their capacities, strengths, and developmental needs and on their weaknesses and problems.
Youth development in this study has to do with the improvement of the students as regards their academic pursuit and personal development. Development, in terms of the internet and how it benefits the students.

Chapter Two THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK / REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This study was anchored on the Uses and Gratification Theory.
2.1 Uses and Gratification theory
The uses and gratifications (U&G) theory originated from the functionalist perspective on the mass media of communication. It was first developed in research on the effectiveness of the radio medium in the 1940s. Basically, it focuses on the explanations for audience members' motivations and associated behaviors. Psychologist Herta Herzog (1944) coined the term gratifications to depict the specific dimensions of usage satisfaction of radio audiences. Following this, mass communication theorists applied the U&G perspective in the context of various mass media such as television and electronic bulletins. For example, Rubin (1994) found that certain kinds of television programs have been shown to be related to various human needs, including information acquisition, escape, emotional release, companionship, reality exploration, and value reinforcement.
The U&G research has been quite fruitful in understanding individuals' motivations and concerns for using various media such as radio, TV, and most recently the internet with its varied and diverse use by audience. A basic assumption of U&G theory is that users are actively involved in media usage and interact highly with the communication media.
Papacharissi and Rubin (2000) proposed interpersonal communication gratifications, recognizing that communication functions like e-mail and chat rooms are common modes of Internet usage
In the fairly early days of media research, it became apparent that the assumed ‘hypodermic’ effect was not borne out by detailed investigation. A variety of factors ranging from group membership to the audiences’ interest in the subject of the message, operate to limit the effects of mass media (Katz and Lazarsfeld, 1956). As a result of the above evidence, attention diverted from the question of ‘what the media do to audience’ to ‘what the audience do with the media’ thus, the birth of the active audience and the Uses and Gratification theory in media audience research.
Meanwhile, Laswell’s study (as cited in Severin and Tankard, 1997:355) noted three functions of the mass media: surveillance, correlation and transmission of social heritage. To this end, Wright (1959) added a fourth, entertainment. However, Mc Quail (1987) adds that the functions individuals put the media to, parallels and complements the uses of the media to the society in general.
Fiske (1982) suggests that there are compensatory uses of the media to gratify needs that the rest of social life frustrates. Different needs are associated with individual personalities, stages of maturity, backgrounds and social roles. However, different situations and circumstances affect the way individuals put the media to use. Dominick (2000) also explains that the uses and gratifications model posits that audience members have certain needs or drives that are satisfied by using both non-media and media sources.
2.2 Objectives Of Uses And Gratifications Theory
Having known the crux of what the uses and gratifications theory does in audience usage of the mass media, Infante, Rancer and Womack (1997) highlighted the objectives of the theory in communication research.
The first objective was to explain how individuals use mass communication to gratify their needs.
The second objective was to discover the underlying motives for individuals media use.
While the third, is to identify the positive and negative consequences of individual media use.
In summary, DeFleur and Dennis (1994) explain the basic ideas of the uses and gratification theory as follows:
 Consumers of mass communication do not passively wait for messages to be presented to them by the mass media.
 Members of audience are active in that they make their own decisions in selecting and attending to specific forms of content from the available media.
 Those choices are made on the basis of individual differences in interest, needs, values, and motive that have been shaped by the individuals’ socialization within a web of relationship and category membership.
 Those psychological factors predispose the person to select specific forms of media content to obtain diversion, entertainment and respite or solve problems of daily life in particular ways.
 Thus, members of the audience will actively select and use specific forms of media content to fulfill their needs and to provide gratification of their interests and motives.
2.3 Weaknesses Of The Uses And Gratifications Theory
In spite of the popular and extensive use to which the uses and gratifications theory has been put to in mass communication research, several communication researchers have advanced some criticisms of the uses and gratifications approach to media.
Folarin (1998) identified two major weaknesses of the theory. First, he criticizes the theory for simply listing needs (entertainment, relaxation, knowledge acquisition etc.) and not properly classifying or operationalizing them.
Second, the needs are defined in a circular way-needs are identified from behaviour which is in turn explained in terms of needs.
In the same vein, Blumler (1997) criticizes the theory for upholding the notion that the audience is completely active. He is of the view that much of the audience’s media use may not involve a high degree of activity, but rather is habitual.
Severin and Tankard (1997) criticize the theory for being non-theoretical, for being vague in defining key concepts for example, ‘needs’ and for being basically nothing more than a data collecting strategy.
This theory has also been criticized on methodological grounds. Self report questionnaires have typically been used in the uses and gratifications studies. The issue here is the reliability and validity of self-report data. Some critics believe that individuals cannot respond accurately to questions about their own feelings and behaviour. According to Infante, Rancer and Womack (1997), self reported answers and motives may be suspect or the categories assigned by the researcher may be questioned as to whether they are verifiable.
They further went on to say that if respondents cannot supply reasons when asked open-ended questions but quickly select answers from a list provided by the researcher, are those answers reliable and valid?
Conceivably, it is based on the above methodological issues that Severin and Tankard (1997) conclude that uniform needs are not the kind of things a uses and gratifications approach would predict.
2.4 Empirical Tests Of Uses And Gratifications Theory
Following Katz dictum to study “not ‘what do the media do to people? But ‘what do people do with the media’?” uses and gratifications researchers have spent so much time exploring empirically the implications of audience usage of the media. This study will however when concluded, add to the body of works on uses and gratifications.
In one of the first studies of uses and gratifications, Hertz Herzog (1942 as cited in Defleur and Dennis 1994:556) investigated what uses and gratifications radio listeners derived from day time serials. It was found out that a variety of reasons including; emotional release, wishful thinking, and as a means of understanding their own woes better.
Another classic study of uses and gratifications was conducted in 1945 by Bernard Berelson (as cited in DeFleur and Dennis 1994:557) titled “what missing the newspaper means”. Taking advantage of a two week newspaper strike, Berelson found out that different people read the different parts of the newspaper for different reasons at different times.
As traditional mass media and new media continue to provide people with a wide range of media platforms and content, it is considered one of the most appropriate perspectives for investigating why audiences choose to be exposed to different media channels. The researcher agrees with Berelson as the result of this research will reveal at the end of the day what uses individuals make of the internet.
In Bittner (1989), the results of Eileen Lehnert’s studies into the uses of 18 to 34 year –old have for newspapers were highlighted. Also, using the uses and gratifications theory, Rubin (1979 as cited in Infante et al 1997), uncovered six reasons why children and adolescents use television: learning, passing time, companionship, escape, arousal and relaxation.
The above study by Rubin corroborates that of McQuail et al, in their 1972 study, after observing a number of different radio and tv programmes in Britain, proposed a scheme of ‘media-person interactions’, which captures the most important media satisfactions.
After the study, it was discovered that actually, there existed a number of benefits which audiences’ derived. Among the benefits were, Diversion, Personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance (more of information seeking)
Similarly, McQuail’s (1983) classification of the following common reasons for media use includes:
Information
• finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediate surroundings, society and the world
• seeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choices
• Satisfying curiosity and general interest
• Learning; self-education
• gaining a sense of security through knowledge
Personal Identity
• finding reinforcement for personal values
• finding models of behavior
• identifying with valued others (in the media)
• gaining insight into oneself
Integration and Social Interaction
• gaining insight into the circumstances of others; social empathy
• identifying with others and gaining a sense of belonging
• finding a basis for conversation and social interaction
• having a substitute for real-life companionship
• helping to carry out social roles
• enabling one to connect with family, friends and society
Entertainment
• escaping, or being diverted, from problems
• relaxing
• getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoyment
• filling time
• emotional release
• sexual arousal (p. 73)
Heightened interactions have also been suggested as motivations for using the Internet. Kuehn (1994) called attention to this interactive capability of the Internet through discussion groups, e-mail, direct ordering, and links to more information. This is seen evident in most of what people do with the internet these days. A lot of people hook on to the internet to chat with friends, send instant messages. For example the yahoo messenger allows you chat and with the web cam, it is possible to see the person you are chatting with. In line with Kuehn, millions of people order for goods and services online. This makes shopping easier and more convenient.
The advent of the Internet has spurred a renaissance in uses and gratifications research as investigators describe Internet motivations and compare and contrast their results with the uses and gratifications from traditional media. In Wimmer and Dominick (2003) found out that Internet use among their sample of 8- to 13-year-olds was most related to an enjoyment of using computers and finding information. Ferguson and Perse (2000) examined the World Wide Web as a functional alternative to TV and discovered that many of the motivations for using the web were similar to those for viewing television. Also, Papacharissi and Rubin (2000) came up with a set of five motivations for using the Internet: utility, passing time, seeking information, convenience, and entertainment.
As noted earlier, the rapid growth of technological development has been a crucial factor influencing mass media choices and patterns. Unlike traditional media, the Internet has overcome geographical obstacles and time difference since it was invented. Also, the Internet has made it possible to make the most of many kinds of media and informational resources as much as people want, such as watching movies, listening to music, searching for academic resources, and making friends.
According to the uses and gratifications theory, the audience is goal-directed and purposive in pursuit of gratifying one’s own needs through consuming mass media (McQuail, 1994/2000). For that reason, immigrants and sojourners might use the modern technology (e.g., the Internet) to gratify their personal needs.
In a comprehensive review of the theoretical developments relevant to uses and gratifications theory, Ruggiero (2000 as cited in Wimmer and Dominick 2003) argues that researchers must expand the uses and gratifications model to accommodate the unique features of the Internet such as interactivity and demassification. He also contends that the growing popularity of the Internet will make the uses and gratifications approach even more valuable in the future.
This is true especially with the novelty of the internet. With this research work, the researcher intends to add to the body of works in relation to the uses and gratifications theory. Due to the fact that the internet is highly interactive, and students’ use of the media (internet) is goal directed, they are in control of the flow and content of the information they view or listen to
Thus, what the students use the internet for, is entirely based on personal gratification and what is of utmost importance to them at the particular time. For instance, many youths these days would prefer to spend so much time on the net communicating with known and unknown friends.
This study as it relates to the uses and gratifications theory would examine what uses students make of the media and in this case the medium in question is the internet.

Chapter Three RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter focuses on the methodology used in conducting the research for this study. This chapter is discussed under the following headings:
Research design, research setting, research population, sample and sampling procedure, measuring instrument, data collection method and method of data presentation and analysis.
3.1 Research Design
Design deals with the approach to be used in carrying out the research. It is both exploratory and descriptive. It is exploratory, because it provides ideas and insight into a particular phenomenon (in this case internet). It is descriptive in the sense that it seeks to collect data in order to answer the research questions.
Survey method will be adopted. This method is being used in light of the fact that the whole universe of the study cannot be reached within the time frame for this study.
DeFleur et al (1998) posit that survey provides ways of selecting a limited and manageable number of people from a population in such a way they have the same distribution of personal and social characteristics as the population itself. Also as Graziano and Raulin (1989) put it, “the survey method asks questions about people’s attitudes, beliefs, plans, health, work, income, life satisfaction and political views.
The survey method allows greater number of respondents to participate, thus making the sample more representative of the chosen population. This data gathering technique has been described by Sobowale (1983) as the most ideal for behavioral studies in social science research.
Thus, with the survey method, the researcher will collect the data in a standardized form through the observation of the sample of the population studied in order to answer the questions regarding the general state of how the population uses the internet.
3.2 Research Setting
The area of the study will cover the student population in Ambrose Alli University, which is in Ekpoma, a town in Edo State. Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma is the state owned school in Edo State.
3.3 Research Population
The population for this study is made up of students of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma as well as the cyber café owners in the university town. As Asika (1991) puts it, a population is made up of all conceivable elements, subjects or observations relating to a particular phenomenon of interest to the researcher. Towards this end, the population for the study included the different conceivable elements, observation and subjects in the study including the different grade levels, disciplines, mode of study and faculties. 3.4 Sample and Sampling Procedure
A sample is a smaller representation of a large whole, while sampling involves the selection of a number of study units from a defined study population or universe. It is taking a small size of a large population and it is a representation of true life presentation.
Jones (1992) noted that it is important for samples to be representatives of the population of interest so that inference could be made about the wider population. He defined a representative sample as “a sample in which the distribution of attributes is similar to their distribution in the population of interest”.
A total of 200 students were selected for this study. Although, when you take a sample of the universe, the larger the sample size, the closer it is to reality. Much as it is desirable to enlarge the sample size, time greatly affects the increase.
Random sampling procedure was used such that each member of the population had an equal chance of being chosen. Thus, the estimates of the population values can be made from the sample values. At the end of the day, 20 respondents were randomly chosen from each faculty in the institution. Basically, there are 10 faculties in AAU which include faculty of Education, Arts, Social Sciences, Law, Agricultural Science, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Natural Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences and Management Sciences.
The researcher went to each of the faculties to administer the questionnaire. Each respondent had an equal opportunity to be selected because it was based on a random sampling procedure.
3.5 Measurable Variables
The following are the major variables that were measured. This is to ensure that the study objectives and research questions were all reflected in the data collected. These variables were measured based on some of the questions in the questionnaire
The Availability of Internet Services: Questions 9 and 16 were used to measure this variable
The Usability of the Internet: Questions 14, 17, 19 and 13 were used to measure this variable
The Exposure of the students to the Internet: Questions 7, 8, 12, 15, and 18 were used to measure this variable.
The Benefits of the Internet: Questions 10, 11 and 15 (a) were used to measure this variable.
The demographic variables measured in this research were sex, age, educational level, state of origin, geographical location and by father’s occupation
3.6 Measuring Instrument
The instrument for the collection of data is the questionnaire. It consisted of 15 questions which were open and close ended. It also contained demographic data about the respondents. This data collection instrument was used to elicit answers from the students as regards their internet use patterns.
The researcher personally administered the questionnaire to the respondents. The researcher also was on ground to clarify ambiguous and hard to understand questions, if any.
Pre-test of Questionnaire
Pretest questionnaire is a testing work product consisting of an organized list of questions that are answered by the test participants and that are used to address specific test objectives prior to the proper distribution of questionnaire.
This is to test a questionnaire with a small number of respondents before the main questionnaire distribution. This was on the same respondents (students) that were used in the main study. This kind of test run can reveal unanticipated problems with question. This was done in order that the interviewees understand the questions and give useful answers.
Pretesting helps to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the survey concerning the question format, wording and order. Pre-testing helps to also find out whether the researcher has achieved clear questions and response options, and an acceptable layout for the questionnaire. If respondents find the questionnaire too difficult to complete, response rate and the quality of answers may be low.

CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This chapter is on the presentation and interpretation of the data collected on internet usage and youth development from the students of AAU. Since the study contains both qualitative and quantitative features, the questionnaire will be analyzed using frequency distribution tables and Simple Percentage. Pie charts will also be employed to provide a pictorial view of results. On the other hand, the results from the interviews would be analyzed as appropriate.
The presentation and analysis of the study was divided into different parts. The first being the presentation of the demographic variables, the second was the presentation of the work according to the specific variables to be measured, while the inferential and extrapolation discussions came last. The result analyses of the responses were presented in percentages and pie charts were used for statistical analysis. The simple percentage was used to calculate the data.
Number of Responses X 100
Total Number of Respondents 1 The presentation and analysis of data was designed to provide answers and analytical intuition to the research questions in this study. The first segment of the presentation and analysis examines the demographic variables of respondents in terms of age, sex, geographical location etc.
The second segment provides analysis to the question of availability of internet services at AAU. The third segment shows analysis on the uses students put the internet to. This segment is followed by the analysis of the knowledge and familiarity of students to social networking sites and other internet facilities like e-mail. The second, third and fourth segments in which the data are divided into, basically takes care of the research questions as well as the objectives of the study.

4.1. DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
A total of 200 copies of questionnaire were distributed among students and 191 were retrieved. This is a 96 percent response rate. The following section shows the percentage distribution of respondents according to their socio-economic variables.
PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS BY SEX
FIGURE 1: Sex Distribution of Respondents A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed among the students and 191 were retrieved. Of the sample, 60 per cent (114) are males and 40 per cent (77) are females. However the actual population of the males in AAU is 8908 while that of the female is 6672 with a total of 15,580 undergraduate students. The female percentage is 43% while the male is 57%, thus giving us a higher male percentage in the university.

PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS BY AGE GROUP
FIGURE 2 On the age of student variable sampled for this study, as shown in figure 2, over one half of the students were in the 21 – 24 age brackets, which suggests an older undergraduate student population. Another 28 percent were in the 25 – 28 age brackets. This tells us that about 80 percent of the undergraduate students sampled were 21 years or older. Only 20 percent of the students were 20 years or a little younger
Table 1: Relationship between Gender and Age of Respondents Female Male
17 – 20years 12% 8%
21 – 24years 65 44
25 – 28years 18 38
29 & above 5 10
Total 100%
(N=77) 100%
(N=114)
X=12.039; df. 3; p.