Influence of Social Media on Reading Culture of Students in Select Secondary Schools in Oron

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine how social media influences the reading culture of secondary school students in some schools in Oron, Nigeria. The objective was to identify whether social media has a profound effect on students' reading culture, the extent to which the impact is felt, and the nature of the impact. The study utilized Uses and Gratifications Theory and Technological Determinism Theory as theoretical frameworks to inform the understanding of media selection and its social influence. Survey research design was utilized where questionnaires were distributed to 370 students, and 321 usable responses were collected for analysis. The findings further showed that the overwhelming majority (70%) acknowledged that social media significantly influences their reading culture and 73% affirmed that social media is highly influential or moderately influential in shaping their reading culture. However, the study also referred to overwhelmingly adverse impact as a significant number of respondents admitted distraction from books (31%) and shrinking attention spans (36%) due to social media. The study concluded that, while social media is a powerful information tool, it negatively affects the traditional reading culture of students. The study recommended that there is need to promote media literacy programmes as means to mitigate adverse effects, encouraging balanced usage of social media for learning, and developing an environment that supports reading above academic requirements to enhance understanding and participation.