CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Social media has exploded as a category of online discourse where people create content, share it, bookmark it, and network at a prodigious rate. Because of its ease of use, speed and reach, social media is fast changing the public discourse in society and setting trends and agenda in topics that range from the environment and politics to technology and the entertainment industry (Asur and Huberman, 2010). In the last ten years, the online world has changed dramatically, thanks to the invention of social media, young men and women now exchange ideas, feelings, personal information, pictures and videos at a truly astonishing rate. Seventy-three percent of wired American teens now use social media websites (Oberst, 2010).

Martn, (2008) & Lusk, (2010) share the same concept of social media. To them social media is the use of Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, My Space and LinkedIn for the purpose of communication, sharing photos as well as videos. However for the purpose of this study social media is captured within the use of internet through Facebook, Whatsap, Twitter, Skype, MySpace as well as Yahoo Messenger for communication sharing of ideas, sharing of photos and videos by users. The increased use of Social Networking Websites has become an international phenomenon in the past several years. What started out as a hobby for some computer literate people has become a social norm and way of life for people from all over the world (Boyd. 2007). Teenagers and young adults have especially embraced these sites as a way to connect with their peers, share information, reinvent their personalities, and showcase their social lives (Boyd, 2007).

In the past years, social media websites have become common; giving young people a new way to interact with each other and communicate with the world. Social networking became popular between 2004 and 2006, after Facebook and MySpace were created. Facebook, for example has over 500 million members and it is still growing and approximately 85% of undergraduate students are Facebook users (Schneider, 2009). These numbers are expected to grow since Facebook users will continue to grow. And this is not only true for Facebook, numbers for YouTube users closely follow as well (University of New Hampshire, 2009). Social networking websites provide tools by which people can communicate, share information, and create new relationships. With the popularity of social networking websites on the rise, our social interaction is affected in multiple ways as we adapt to our increasingly technological world. The way web users interact and talk to each other has changed and continues to change. These users now socialize through the internet and it takes away from the person socialization that has been around forever. Social networking websites have affected our social interaction by changing the way we interact face-to-face, how we receive information, and the dynamics of our social groups and friendships (Asur and Huberman, 2010).

Home environment is the most important institution for the existence and continuance of human life and the development of various personality traits. An ideal home environment is one where there is proper reward to strengthen the desired behavior, provision of opportunities to express its views freely, where the children are not compelled to act according to parental desires and expectations. It has been shown that most of children who are successful and well adjusted come from families where wholesome relationships exist between children and their parents. Daulta (2008) studied the impact of home environment on the scholastic achievement of children and found that good quality of home environment had significant positive correlation with high level of scholastic achievement in boys than among girls. Shek (1997) has found that family factors play an important role in influencing the psychosocial adjustment, particularly the positive mental health, of Chinese adolescents. Whether parents are involved in and support their adolescents‟ school life can directly affect their personal and social development as well as their academic success (Gecas & Schwalbe, 1986; Harris & Goodall, 2008; Jeynes, 2007). Epstein (1992) argues that “students at all grade levels do better academic work and have more positive school attitudes, higher aspirations, and other positive behaviors if they have parents who are aware, knowledgeable, encouraging, and involved”. Although schools, peers, and the student’s community all have an impact on the young adult’s self-identity and career choice, the parent’s expectations and perceptions of vocational fit for their children have been found to be the key roles in shaping their career choices (Ferry, 2006). In one study (Creamer &Laughlin, 2005), this influence has been so strong as to override the influence of teachers, faculty, and career counselors, who likely know more about the career field in question but were not as well-known and/or trusted as the student’s parents for this type of decision.

Environment is the aggregate of various factors and stimulations which individual receives from conception till death. Good (1959) has described environment as a term designating all the objects, forces and conditions that affect the individual through and such stimuli as he is able to receive. Home plays an important role in moulding the personality of the children. Home is the first socializing agency where the child learns the patterns of behaviour prevalent in the community. Some of the early experiences leave indelible impression on the minds of children, which to a great extent continue influencing behaviour of children throughout life. The type of behaviour of parents, siblings and other members of the society also influence the child’s growth. Since the home is the first institute therefore parents temperaments, behaviour, character, and mutual relations influence child’s personality development. Home environment include factors like socio- economic status, parents aspirations and expectations, parental attitude and socially determined expectations of family members from each other. Home environment is an important factor which directly or indirectly affects the feeling of security and self confidence of child where as an unfavourable environment can bring about a serious handicap in feeling of security and self-confidence of child

Childhood is a period of rapid growth and development and is said to be the golden age for the building of personality. Further, adolescence years are said to be of critical importance in mental, social, emotional and physical growth and development. The mind, emotions and the body do not necessarily keep pace with each other in terms of chronological years of adolescence, as in infancy, concentration in one aspect of growth may means the neglect of another. In this context, home occupies the first and the most significant place for the development of the child. Inadequate home environment is likely to cripple the personality of the child from the point of his/her abilities and behaviour adjustments. Thus nature of environment provides the necessary sensory inputs, stimulation, and experimental basis for the development of perceptual and cognitive skills in adolescents.

It is not surprising that the root of self-esteem lies in family experiences. A favourable home environment constitutes of good parent - child relationship. As Kuppuswamy (1954) says, “The self- esteem is not a finished product at birth. But is something which develops and how it develops, what its constituent attitudes are depends upon the family in which the individual is brought up with all the social norms of the group to which the family belongs and the education and experiences of each individual.” Coopersmith working in America found that children with high self-esteem came from families where the parents themselves had similar self-esteem and where adults were able to treat children as responsible individuals .Parents of such children were more accepting more affectionate and more positive towards their children. Above all, they were interested in them and they showed it. But and this is a very big but, they also set firm limits to their children’s behaviour, limits which they applied constantly.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The advancement of technology in today’s world has had a great influence on both the old and young most especially the young ones. It is on social media that you see people showcasing what they are and are not just to get approval and feel among or important.  The social media such as facebook, instagram, whatsapp, twitter etc. is taking its toll on people in both positive and negative ways. As a result of the show of material wealth, positions, intellect, posting of sophisticated pictures and getting many likes, it makes others feel they are not achieving much or less of themselves.  The youth especially who are always on social media tend to be intimidated by their peers or celebrities and these has affected their self-esteem and how they feel and see themselves.

More so, the environment in which these young ones find themselves is another factor to consider as regards self-esteem. Some children come from happy, educated and influential homes and study has it that children who grow from such homes tend to have high self-esteem and believe they can achieve anything than children who come from homes where sadness, depression, poverty and illiteracy ids the order of the day. Some find themselves in environment where no one encourages them, no one tells them how far they can go in life, and how they can influence their society positively. It is on this background that the study seeks to examine the effect of social media and home environment on self esteem of secondary school students.

1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The main aim of the study is to examine the effect of social media and home environment on self-esteem of secondary school students. Other specific objectives include:

1. to determine the relationship between social media, home environment and  self-esteem of secondary school students.

2. to examine the effect of social media and home environment on self-esteem of secondary school students.

3. to examine how social media affect self-esteem of secondary school students.

4. to ascertain the level of influence the home environment has on self-esteem of secondary school students.

5. to identify factors that can boost the self-esteem of secondary school students.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

1. what is the relationship between social media and home environment on self-esteem of secondary school students?

2. what is the effect of social media and home environment on self-esteem of secondary school students?

3. how does social media affect self-esteem of secondary school students?

4. what level of influence has the home environment on self-esteem of secondary school students?

5. what factors can boost the self-esteem of secondary school students?

1.5 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

1. HO: social media and home environment has no significant effect on self-esteem of secondary school students.

2. H1: social media and home environment has significant effect on self-esteem of secondary school students.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The findings of the study will be of importance to parents. It will help them understand how important it is to always encourage their children and make them feel important and not less of themselves. They should help them identify their uniqueness and potentials, that others have it now do not mean they will not have theirs tomorrow. They should always learn to appreciate themselves and their uniqueness and know everyone in this life has his/her own purpose. When you discover your purpose in life, is when you start living and appreciate yourself better.

The study will also be beneficial to secondary school student in understanding that it is not everything they see on social media especially the flamboyant lifestyle of some celebrities and their peers as the case may be is always true. Some of these people feel a sense of belonging and happiness when people like and comment on their post and this happens when one suffers from inferiority complex therefore, they seek acceptance outside. The young ones must not be influenced negatively by what they see on social media and must not let their guard down on anything they may lower their self-esteem.

The findings of the study will also be of benefit to the society as it will expose them to the importance of having and developing a high self-esteem and letting them know that if you do not believe in yourself, no one will. You need to have confidence and know that you are unique and different in your own way as well as be contented with what you have as much as you try to develop and improve your standard of living.

1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY

The scope of the study will cover the effect of social media and home environment on self-esteem of secondary school students: a case study of special science secondary.

1.8 LIMITATION OF STUDY

1. Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview).

2. Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Effect: a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

Something that is produced by an agency or cause, result, consequence. Power to produce results, efficacy, force; influence.

Social media: Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation or sharing of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. Social media is any digital tool that allows users to quickly create and share content with the public.

Home environment: The home environment entails: emotional warmth displayed by parents while interacting with their children; provision of stimulating and learning experiences in the home; and physical surroundings, such as safety of play areas and cleanliness.

Home environment also refers to aspects of people’s domestic lives that contribute to their living conditions.

Self-esteem: Self-esteem is an individual's subjective evaluation of their own self-worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame.