PERCEPTIONS ON NEW MEDIA INFLUENCE ON INSECURITY AMONG THE YOUTH IN RONGO SUB COUNTY, MIGORI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Today, New Media (NM) has become part and parcel of human life. New Media has invaded the society to the extent that people have become unconscious of its presence and influences. Social Networking sites are a novel technology that must be embraced because of the way in which they have benefited the users such as communication, interaction, and entertainment. New media are mainly used by the youth to create and share content. Despite the significant contributions of these media, there is evidence that they have adverse effects in the society such as promoting theft cases, violence and drug abuse. This thesis examined perceptions on New Media influence on insecurity among the youth in Rongo Sub County, Migori County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were three: (i) to investigate the commonly used New Media platforms by the youth in Rongo Sub County, (ii) to find out why the New Media platforms are common among youth, (iii) to establish whether the use of New Media by youth can be linked to criminal activities. The study was grounded on Uses and Gratification Theory (Katz, 1974) that underscores the level of gratification derived by the youth (users) when engaging in social media platforms in the context of new theories of technologies that allows for interactivity where youths get exposed to various kinds of content including criminal content. In terms of content scope, the study was concerned with the perceptions on New Media influence on insecurity among the youth. The geographical scope focused on Rongo Sub County while the time scope was between August 2018 and February 2019. Methodologically, the study used mixed method research approach. The study used survey to examine the perceptions on New Media influence on insecurity among the youth in Rongo Sub County. The target population was 615 youth with a sample size of 92 youth between 20-40 years of age both men and women. The study focused on the youth because majority of smartphone owners are youth therefore they could easily access Social Media. Data was generated using Key Informant Interview and questionnaires, and thereafter analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 23 and presented in sections according to the research questions. Findings were presented using descriptive statistics like bar graphs, frames, figures, and frequency tables. The researcher found out that WhatsApp is the most commonly used New Media followed by Facebook and YouTube. Secondly, the researcher found out that these new media platforms are common among the youth because of relatively high exposure to cell phones finally; the researcher found out that the use of New Media by youth has a direct link to insecurity. The researcher recommends that new media use should be regulated and there should be a responsible administrator to regulate what is being posted to the public domain. The researcher also recommends that the government should create awareness on the negative influence of the new media and impose high fines on those found guilty of using new media wrongly.

Today, New Media (NM) has become part and parcel of human life. New Media has invaded the society to the extent that people have become unconscious of its presence and influences. Social Networking sites are a novel technology that must be embraced because of the way in which they have benefited the users such as communication, interaction, and entertainment. New media are mainly used by the youth to create and share content. Despite the significant contributions of these media, there is evidence that they have adverse effects in the society such as promoting theft cases, violence and drug abuse. This thesis examined perceptions on New Media influence on insecurity among the youth in Rongo Sub County, Migori County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were three: (i) to investigate the commonly used New Media platforms by the youth in Rongo Sub County, (ii) to find out why the New Media platforms are common among youth, (iii) to establish whether the use of New Media by youth can be linked to criminal activities. The study was grounded on Uses and Gratification Theory (Katz, 1974) that underscores the level of gratification derived by the youth (users) when engaging in social media platforms in the context of new theories of technologies that allows for interactivity where youths get exposed to various kinds of content including criminal content. In terms of content scope, the study was concerned with the perceptions on New Media influence on insecurity among the youth. The geographical scope focused on Rongo Sub County while the time scope was between August 2018 and February 2019. Methodologically, the study used mixed method research approach. The study used survey to examine the perceptions on New Media influence on insecurity among the youth in Rongo Sub County. The target population was 615 youth with a sample size of 92 youth between 20-40 years of age both men and women. The study focused on the youth because majority of smartphone owners are youth therefore they could easily access Social Media. Data was generated using Key Informant Interview and questionnaires, and thereafter analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 23 and presented in sections according to the research questions. Findings were presented using descriptive statistics like bar graphs, frames, figures, and frequency tables. The researcher found out that WhatsApp is the most commonly used New Media followed by Facebook and YouTube. Secondly, the researcher found out that these new media platforms are common among the youth because of relatively high exposure to cell phones finally; the researcher found out that the use of New Media by youth has a direct link to insecurity. The researcher recommends that new media use should be regulated and there should be a responsible administrator to regulate what is being posted to the public domain. The researcher also recommends that the government should create awareness on the negative influence of the new media and impose high fines on those found guilty of using new media wrongly.