Reclaiming the Timeline: Redirecting Benue Youths' Social Media Engagement from Political Antagonism Toward Constructive Economic Empowerment

The population and visibility of Benue youths on social media continue to increase with the growth of platforms (such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok). The simplicity and flexibility of using the platforms have made it easier for people (literate and non-literate) to use them with few challenges. Meanwhile, users’ intentions and understanding of context on social media significantly influence their participation. This study investigates the extent to which youths in Benue can redirect their social media engagement from political antagonism to economic and constructive activity for gainful impact. As a result, we adopted a qualitative and survey approach where structured questionnaires were designed and administered to 820 respondents (Benue youths) online. We therefore used percentage analysis to analyse the data. Anchored on the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), the study found that while more Benue youths are motivated by political news to engage frequently on social media, a smaller proportion used the same platforms for economic activities such as job search, advertisement, and skills acquisition. It further shows that many youths are willing to redirect their time on social media for gainful activities if guided and assisted. The paper also argues that the imbalance between time spent on political antagonism and economic activities reflects the patterns in gratifications rather than a lack of platforms. Therefore, the study concludes that digital-literacy interventions, intentional content curation, and encouragement through stories of successful peers may help youths to redirect their time on social media to economic activities. It recommends training youths on how to spot fake news, question sources, and identify genuine opportunities on social media platforms.

Benue youth, Social media, economic opportunities, political antagonism, and unemployment

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