MOROHUNFOLA, OMOTOMIWA and Covenant University, Theses (2022) TWITTER BAN AND ITS INFLUENCE ON MILLENNIALS’ FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND LIVELIHOOD IN LAGOS STATE. Masters thesis, COVENANT UNIVERSITY.
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Abstract
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, and livelihood is essential for the survival of many adults worldwide. In 2021 when Twitter was banned in Nigeria, these were the two issues commonly raised. Individuals, groups, diplomatic missions, and organizations stated that the ban could affect the freedom of expression and livelihood of Twitter users in Nigeria. Based on these reactions, the study set out to understand the influence of the ban on Twitter users in Nigeria regarding freedom of expression and livelihood. The study is premised on the theory of unintended consequences, which explains that any government's social actions have unintended consequences that could be positive, negative, or neutral. In the case of this study, the unintentional consequences were negative and influenced millennials’ freedom of expression and livelihood. The scope of the study revolved around millennials in Lagos, Nigeria, because research suggests that most Twitter users are millennials. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to retrieve responses from people within the generation. The survey provided responses from 500 educated millennials across three postgraduate schools in Lagos, Nigeria. To complement results from the survey, focus group discussions were conducted across the three postgraduate schools with millennial business owners who could share first-hand details of the influence of the ban on their businesses and livelihood. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) while qualitative data were subject to symbolic and thematic analysis. Findings show that 66% of the respondents do not even know why Twitter was banned in the first place. Also, 99.4% of survey respondents had a negative impression of the government because of the ban. Regarding the influence of the ban on millennials' freedom of expression, 87.2% of educated millennials claimed the ban was a violation of their right to freedom of expression. Livelihood-wise, almost 45% of millennials indicated that Twitter ban in Nigeria disrupted their source of livelihood. Millennial business owners validated this by explaining how Twitter helped them generate sales and exposure before the ban. Due to the ban, millennial business owners were thrown into survival mode and had to use other social media platforms to meet their livelihood needs. Based on the findings, the study concludes that the seven-month Twitter ban in Nigeria had negative influences on Nigerian users, specifically educated millennials.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Twitter Ban, Freedom of expression, Livelihood, Millennials |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | AKINWUMI |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Oct 2022 11:50 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Oct 2022 11:50 |
| URI: | http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/16311 |
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