THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

This study examined the role of social media platforms in enhancing peace in Nigerian higher institutions using the University of Benin as case study. The research objectives were to find out ways social media platforms can help enhance peace in Nigerian tertiary institutions; establish the extent to which social media platforms are enhancing peace in Nigerian tertiary institutions; examine the significance of social media’s peace enhancement to Nigerian tertiary institutions; and x-ray the hindrances of social media in promoting peace in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Furthermore, the study was anchored on the Media Framing theory and the research methodology was the survey using questionnaire as the research instrument. 270 copies of questionnaire were distributed to the research respondents, and while 251 were returned, 19 copies were unreturned. Findings from the study showed that there was a high usage of social media by Nigerianhigher institution students; social media is effective in enhancing peace in Nigerianhigher institutions but is under-utilized by students in conflict resolution andpeacekeeping; and that the ways social media platforms can help enhance peace in Nigeriantertiary institutions include publishing unbiased stories and pictures of the conflicts, making objective judgments and recommendations to the conflicts, and by supporting peace keeping bodies in resolving the conflicts. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Social media users, especially higher institution students should report and help enhance peace among Nigerian higher institutions through conflict resolution and peace-keeping strategies and that social media users should be mindful of their actions and inactions towards conflicts in Nigerian higher institution as such actions and inactions could escalate or de-escalate conflicts.