The Impact of Social Media on Students' Awareness and Engagement with Social Issues
Disha Agarwal
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India.
Govind Singh Kushwaha
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India.
Basu Anand
*
Department of Agricultural Extension and Communication, N.M.C.A, NAU, Navsari, Gujarat-396450 India.
Ishita Mishra
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India.
Komal Sharma
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to investigate the impact of social media on university students' awareness and engagement with social issues.
Study Design: The study followed a cross-sectional study design.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India, over a period of three months from March 2024 to June 2024.
Methodology: A convenience sampling technique was used to select 100 students, predominantly male (74.00%), mostly aged 18-24 years (56.00%), with the majority from the College of Agriculture (75.00%). Data were collected using a structured Google form survey assessing social media usage, awareness of social issues, and engagement behaviors. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.
Results: The study found that social media significantly enhances awareness of social issues, with (54.00%) of respondents rating their awareness as high after exposure, compared to (31.00%) before social media exposure. Engagement levels were moderate, with (58.00%) of students participating in online campaigns and (46.00%) moderately likely to engage in social issues after exposure. Key actions taken included sharing posts (53.00%), volunteering (45.00%), attending events and donating (42.00%), and using hashtags (33.00%).
Conclusion: The results demonstrate that social media is a powerful tool for enhancing awareness and encouraging civic engagement among university students, suggesting its potential for driving meaningful social change.
Keywords: Social issues, social media, social change, awareness, engagement