INFLUENCE OF BIAFRA-RELATED SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENTS ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF IPOB AGENDA IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

Abstract

Improvement in internet capacity had led to the creation of various social media platforms. The various social media platforms influenced how individuals, groups and communities interacted with each other and events in their environment. Therefore, this study examined the influence of social media contents of agitators and secescionists on consumers of such contents and how the contents influenced their perception of the struggle with focus on Biafra related contents through qualitative study. The study adopted focus group discussion to gather data using a combination of Constant Comparison Analysis (CCA) and Micro-Interlocutor Analysis to analyse the data. Participants in the study were selected using purposive sampling to assemble four cohorts with each cohort having homogeneous features except age. The study found out that consumers of Biafra social media contents, apart from interacting with the contents, also interrogate the contents. The study also found out that consumers of social media contents who were supporters of the secessionist group rely on perceived beliefs to argue in support of the veracity of the consumed contents even if there had been facts to argue against the authenticity of such contents. The study concluded that social media reinforce perceived beliefs through consumed contents.