Assessment of Social Media Use and Political Participation Among Youths in Lagos State

This study assesses the relationship between social media use and political participation among young people in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. The proliferation of smartphones and affordable internet access has transformed how young Nigerians engage with political information and civic processes, yet the extent to which online exposure translates into actual political behaviour remains an open question in the Lagos context. This study adopts a descriptive survey design, collecting data from 350 youths between the ages of 18 and 35 in Alimosho, Lagos Mainland, and Eti-Osa local government areas. A structured questionnaire assesses social media platform usage, political content exposure, attitudes toward political participation, voter registration status, and participation in protest or civic events. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis are applied. Findings reveal that 84 percent of respondents use Twitter (now X) and WhatsApp for political information, but only 42 percent translate online engagement into offline political activities such as voting or attending rallies. Social media political content exposure is significantly correlated with civic identity but less strongly correlated with actual voter turnout. Algorithmic echo chambers and misinformation are identified as key mediating factors that reduce the quality of political engagement derived from online exposure. The study concludes that social media in Lagos creates political awareness without reliably producing participation. It recommends civic education interventions integrated into digital platforms and media literacy programmes targeting youth political engagement.

Keywords: social media, political participation, youth, Lagos, civic engagement.