Social media Usership in Benue State and the Proliferation of Hate Speech on the Nigerian Social Media Space

Abstract

The study was an assessment of social media usership and the proliferation of hate speech on Social Media Space in Benue State. The aim was to ascertain the specific social media platforms in which hate speech is mostly used, identify the nature of the relationship between social media use and the proliferation of hate speech and to pinpoint the socio-cultural factors responsible for the proliferation of hate speech. The research was a survey with questionnaire as instrument. The population of the study was 38,778 drawn from four major LGA in the State. Aroaye’s (2004) formula for determining sample size was used to arrive at a sample of 384 randomly selected for the study. The study was anchored on the uses and gratification theory and public sphere theory. Findings revealed that Facebook and Twitter are the social media platforms in which hate speech is mostly used in Benue State and that abuse of power by political leaders is the major factor for the proliferation of hate speech. Furthermore, cheap accessibility and protection of identity were discovered to be the major backbone for proliferation of hate speech while multicultural divide and marginalization were discovered to be the major socio cultural factors responsible for 2 proliferation ofhate speech. The study therefore recommends that government should ensure equitable distribution of resources and avoid marginalization of some religious ethnic groups. Also, laws protecting against hate speech should be enacted as fast as possible to help curtail the proliferation of hate speech on the social media in Nigeria, provided such laws are not enacted in sentiment to suppress or witch-hunt certain truths, groups or individuals amongst others.