Investigation of the Impact of Social Media Use on the Interpersonal Relationships of University Students in Oyo State

Excessive social media use has been associated with changes in interpersonal relationship quality, social isolation, and communication skill deficits among young adults, and its specific effects in Nigerian university settings require descriptive investigation. This study investigated the impact of social media use patterns on interpersonal relationship quality among undergraduate students at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A descriptive survey was conducted among 300 undergraduates from five faculties, recruited through stratified sampling. A self-administered questionnaire assessed daily social media usage duration, platform preferences, social media dependence indicators, and interpersonal relationship quality measured by the Interpersonal Relationship Scale. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were employed. Results showed that 61.0 percent of respondents spent more than four hours daily on social media platforms. Social media dependence was significantly negatively associated with face-to-face relationship satisfaction (r = -0.49, p < 0.001) and positively associated with loneliness scores (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). Heavy social media users (above six hours daily) reported significantly lower satisfaction with peer relationships and family communication than moderate users. WhatsApp and Instagram were the most used platforms, with compulsive checking patterns reported by 43.7 percent. The study recommends counselling-based digital wellbeing programmes, peer group counselling on healthy social media habits, and awareness campaigns for Nigerian university students on maintaining balance between digital and in-person social engagement. Keywords: social media, interpersonal relationships, university students, Oyo State, digital wellbeing