Essay: The Pros and Cons of Social Media as a News and Communication Channel during COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Over time, social media has become an active technology tool in Nigeria. News and communication channel for Nigerian citizens. Access to mobile phones, especially among tech-savvy young people, has made information dissemination possible at the fingertips. As a recent pandemic swept the world and contracted, social media platforms are being used as sources of information for citizens. Its importance has been recognized especially as the government has introduced quarantine policies to contain the spread of the Covid19 virus. Thus, it has become an active tool of interaction and communication for the dissemination of plausible as well as inaccurate (false) information. More and more literature appears on social media. Critical analysis reveals changes and continuity in communications and information technologies. Let’s look at some questions below. Social networks are derivatives of the Internet, and according to DiMaggio et al. (2001, P.307), the Internet refers to an electronic network or network that connects people and information through computers and other digital devices. Thus, it provides communication between people and information retrieval. The Internet is an important tool for disseminating information. In this way, the media serves as an information hegemony that determines the impressions of the information and issues presented to people (Savrum & Leon, 2015).
A social network is a collection of websites and network systems that enable large-scale interactions, conversations and exchanges between members of a network (Murphy, 2013, p. 3). These diverse media and communication networks have played an important role in facilitating uprisings like the Arab Spring (AlSayyad & Guvenc, 2015, p. 2025). Its strength lies in the vivid video conveyed through the recorded video of the event taking place. An international live broadcast of an event can mobilize large numbers of citizens for positive or negative goals. Moreover, he played an important role in overthrowing the dictatorship. Unfortunately, these various publications are being abused by unscrupulous people hiding behind his anonymity to deceive or transmit false information. Social media abuse, especially at this special time in Nigeria, is not overlooked by attentive observers, as the general public does not forget the importance of social media for communication. Therefore, this article highlights the advantages and disadvantages. Coronavirus (Covid19) is an infectious disease that causes respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory illnesses. It started in December 2019 at the Hunan seafood market in Wuhan, China, where live bats, snakes, raccoons and wild animals were sold (Shereen et al., 2020, pp. 91-98) and declared a pandemic. World Health Organization, 11 March 2020 (WHO, 2020). Since it was identified, the virus is said to have caused about 512 311 deaths worldwide out of 10 514 028 positive cases, which unfortunately is growing exponentially every day (WHO, 2020). The first victim of the virus in Nigeria was an Italian who arrived in Nigeria on February 25, 2020. He was admitted to the quarantine ward at Yaba Lagos after showing symptoms of the virus (NCDC 2020). As of this writing, the number of cases continues to rise, with nearly 28,711 positive cases and 11,665 recoveries (NCDC, 2020). Nigeria, in particular, is trying to contain the rapid spread of Covid19 by immediately shutting down commercial and administrative centers, the main epicenters of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja. This is where corona virus cases have skyrocketed. Some governors have also taken proactive steps to close “borders” to limit the spread of the virus. Other measures include banning large gatherings in churches, playgrounds and cemeteries, while schools are closing nationwide. The achievement of these achievements is due to the influence of social media within the country as well as the availability of adequate health care facilities. Platforms: WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have become different means of communication and interaction with governments as well as the general public. Conversely, social media is also used primarily as a propaganda tool for disseminating news and information based on homes and homes. In this regard, this article seeks to explore how social media can be used as a tool for good, evil and ugliness. Social media as a means of communication provides tremendous information opportunities for Nigerians during this pandemic. The announcement of the first victims of the coronavirus was made through various social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and various websites. Disseminating this information was not difficult as many Nigerians had access to these platforms. Since then, medical institutions such as the NCDC have updated the public with the number of positive, fatal or recovered cases in Nigeria via these social media platforms. This has provided a better opportunity for Nigerian citizens to be fully prepared for Covid19. In contrast to the period of the influenza pandemic, there was little news about the virus when it arrived in Nigeria. During the flu period, the Nigerian colonial government was able to limit the spread to only select parts of Lagos by disinfecting homes. However, restrictions on dissemination of information have made the disease spread faster to other parts of the country (Adebowale, 2020).
NCDC is the country’s national public health agency leading the preparation, detection, and response of epidemic outbreaks. The institution was officially signed by Nigerian President Muhammadu Bukhari in November 2018. The agency’s mission is to protect the health of Nigerians through evidence-based prevention, integrated disease surveillance and response, which serves as a dissemination agency for citizens (NCDC, 2020). However, during this COVID-19 pandemic, the media