IMPLICATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND UNITY IN AKOKO SOUTH- WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO STATE

The study was designed to Implication of Social Media on National Development and Unity in Akoko South- West Local Government Area of Ondo State. The pervasive influence of social media has become increasingly evident in the global landscape, impacting societies, economies, and political structures. In the specific context of our nation, the advent and widespread use of social media platforms have raised critical questions regarding their implications for national development and unity. The study adopted descriptive research of the survey type, the descriptive statistics were used for the analysis of demographic data; while the frequency counts and percentage were used to analysis the research questions. While formulated Hypothesis were tested using t-test statistics analysis at 0.05 level of significance respectively, The Population of this study is drawn from all the ten (10) communities that make-up the Akoko South West local government. Fifteen (15) respondents were selected from each (10) towns selected for the study, making total (150) One hundred and Fifty respondents. Five research questions and hypothesis were raised and answered, Research question one revealed a general agreement that social media has an influences on national development and unity, by promoting national identity and unity among citizens, Research question two indicate that social media play a significant role in disseminating information and awareness about national development and unity across the state. Research question three base on results, indicate a general agreement among respondents that social media positively impacts citizen engagement in National development and unity, while it has a positive impact, research question four shows that respondents generally perceive social media to have significant negative impacts on national unity and development. Lastly research question five shows that Government regulations policies surrounding social media to an extent has a great effect on the promotion of national development and unity goals. Therefore, is concluded that social media can both strengthen and challenge national identity, as diverse perspectives and opinions are shared, sometimes leading to polarization. However, platforms also serve as a space for dialogue and understanding, promoting a sense of unity. Base on the findings it is recommended that, in other to enhance the positive impact of social media on national identity and unity, educational programs should encourage responsible usage among citizens, Also government and public institutions should utilize social media platforms to effectively disseminate accurate information and raise awareness on issues related to national development. To further encourage constructive engagement on social media, local authorities and community leaders should organize campaigns that promote social media as a tool for active, positive participation in community and national development, To mitigate the negative impacts of social media, such as divisive or harmful content, there should be efforts to promote digital literacy. Government policies on social media should balance regulation with freedom of expression. To achieve this, stakeholders can conduct periodic reviews of social media policies to ensure they are effective in promoting national unity and development