IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA BASED-DIGITAL LITERACY ON REDUCTION OF INTERNET FRAUD AMONG ECONOMICS EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATES IN SOUTH EAST, NIGERIA
Department of Social Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Joseph C. Onuoha
Department of Social Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Njideka D. Eneogu
Department of Social Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Grace O. Ugwonna
Department of Social Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Abstract
University students' increasing usage of social media has led to both potential for online education and increased susceptibility to online fraud and other cybercrimes. This study looked at how digital literacy based on social media affected the decline in online fraud among South East Nigerian Economics Education undergraduate students. The study used a quasi-experimental research methodology with 85 undergraduate students of Economics Education chosen from three public universities in South East Nigeria. It was based on frameworks for digital competence and social learning. Participants were divided into two groups: the intervention group and the control group. Cyber ethics, online risk detection, privacy management, critical evaluation of online content, and fraud prevention strategies were the main topics of an eight-week structured social mediabased digital literacy program that was given to the intervention group via interactive platform like WhatsApp. Validated tool measuring vulnerability to online fraud (α = .78) were used to gather data both before and after the intervention. According to the results, the intervention group's members showed a statistically significant decrease in their vulnerability to online fraud, dangerous online conduct, and cybercrime-related involvement goals. The study comes to the conclusion that structured digital literacy treatments based on social media can be a useful way to protect undergraduates from online fraud. It suggests that in order to encourage responsible online behavior and improve cyber safety in Nigerian higher education institutions, digital literacy programs should be incorporated into university curricula and student orientation programs.
Keywords
Social media, digital literacy, internet fraud, cyber safety, undergraduates, intervention study, Nigeria.
