PERCEPTION OF THE BAN ON TWITTER AS A PREDICTOR OF SOCIAL ANXIETY AND POLITICAL APATHY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

This study investigated the perception of the ban on Twitter as a predictor of social anxiety and political apathy among the University of Lagos undergraduate students. Students express social anxiety. The authors adopted a survey research design, and the stratified sampling method was utilized to select participants from the University of Lagos. A total of 383 undergraduate students were randomly sampled to participate in the study. The results of the study indicated that the ban on Twitter had a significant influence on both social anxiety and political apathy. The influence is particularly stronger in social anxiety, as revealed by the One-way ANOVA analysis (F = 18.967, P = 0.000 < 0.05, 30.261, P = 0.000 > 0.05). Additionally, this study identifies a connection between social media use and social anxiety disorder (SAD), emphasizing the importance of mental health and emotional control when using social media. Healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers are advised to be abreast and discuss the of social media usage on mental health, especially concerning social anxiety disorders. The results of these studies are expected to be useful to the government in understanding the various opportunities associated with Twitter use and reconsidering the adoption and utilization of Twitter by different ministries to engage with the public.