SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY AS A PANACEA TO ACTUALISING FAMILY ROLE IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The family is the smallest community and has a vital role in shaping its’ members’ overall development (physical, emotional, psychological, social, economical and moral) through the process of socialization made possible by parenting. The type of nurturance or socialization the individuals received from the family in turn determines how such individuals will function in the larger society. The mechanisms (internal and external) through which families realize their roles in human development have been studied by many researchers using various theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence. The present study uses qualitative method to examine the place of social media and social media literacy (external mechanism) in helping families to actualize their roles in human development.