A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF UNDERGRADUATES USE OF INTERNET FOR SOCIO-ACADEMIC REASONS

The internet today is a universal entity whose nature cannot be quickly defined. The internet has provided essential services in the education sector. Perhaps, people in academia rely heavily on the internet for academic purposes. However, observation suggests that a large number of students use the internet for purposes other than academics. The present study aimed to determine the differences in internet use for social or academic purposes among undergraduates in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. A total of two hundred undergraduates comprising male and female drawn from three tertiary institutions participated in the study. The participants completed a self-report measure on internet use for academic and non-academic purposes. A 2x2 contingency Chi-square analysis revealed that female participants used the internet more for non-academic purposes when compared to their male counterparts. A one-way ANOVA showed that the participants differ significantly on the use of the internet for academic purposes according to their levels of study. Discussion and conclusions are discussed.