EVALUATION OF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CRITICAL DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA.

This study evaluated the use of social media for critical democratic citizenship among residents of Edo State, Nigeria. The study addressed the following research Objectives: Ascertain social media users’ engagement with government policies in Edo state, determine the level of social media users’ criticism of the democratic process, examine citizens Critical reflection on the political and economic systems in place on social media, evaluate how citizens have used the social media to call for social justice, ascertain the relationship between government performance and critical democratic citizenship. Survey method was adopted, with a cross sectional design, using purposive sampling technique. A sample of 400 respondents was drawn from the estimated 960,000 Social media users in Edo State (Datareportal's Digital 2023 Report). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that social media is widely used for political awareness, active engagement in discussions but activism remains limited. Respondents reported using social media daily to stay informed about political issues (Mean = 3.68, SD = 1.40), but active participation in discussions was less common (Mean = 3.02, SD = 1.23). WhatsApp emerged as the most preferred platform for political discussions (Mean = 3.46, SD = 1.28), while Instagram was the least preferred (Mean = 2.14, SD = 1.28). Users trust social media for government-related information (Mean = 3.97, SD = 1.44) but exercise caution in verifying content before sharing (Mean = 4.14, SD = 0.87).Demographic factors influenced social media engagement, with men and older individuals showing higher participation rates, while women and highly educated individuals exhibited lower levels of engagement. For instance, 68.8% of respondents were female, and 49.9% held postgraduate degrees, yet engagement among these groups was lower compared to their counterparts. A moderate positive correlation was found between social media engagement and critical democratic citizenship (r = 0.461, p < 0.01), indicating that active users are more likely to participate in democratic processes. However, despite recognizing the impact of government performance on civic engagement (Mean = 4.67, SD = 0.68), this awareness does not always translate into active participation. The study concluded that social media is a vital tool for political awareness in Edo State, but active engagement, criticism, and critical reflection remain limited. To address these gaps, the study recommends the implementation of educational programmes to promote responsible and critical engagement with political content and developing targeted initiatives to increase the participation of women and highly educated individuals in online political discourse.