ASSESSMENT OF MOBILE PHONE ON QUALITY OF MEDIA CONTENT AMONGST STUDENT (A STUDY OF OYO CORRESPONDENTS)

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INTRODUCTION

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The use of technology is a global imperative due to its contributions to human existence and has enhanced the socio economic relations globally. Wireless communication has emerged as one of the fastest diffusing media on the planet, fuelling an emergent “mobile youth culture” (Castells, Fernandez-Ardevol, Qiu, and Sey, 2017). Thus, increased popularity of cell and smart phones in recent years has attracted research attention. Cell phones are seen as a mixed blessing. Teens say phones make their lives safer and more convenient. Yet they also cite new tensions connected to mobile phone use(Pew Research Center, 2010). As cell phones have become more available, they are increasingly owned and used by teens. Further, as handsets become more loaded with capabilities ranging from video recording and sharing, to music playing and internet access, teens and young adults have an ever-increasing repertoire of use. Indeed, we are moving into an era when mobile devices are not just for talking and texting, but can also access the internet and all it has to offer (Pew Research Center,2010). The mobile phone is one of the most rapidly growing new technologies in the world (Rebello, 2010). In 2011, mobile phone users were less than a billion worldwide with the majority of the users from the developed countries. By the end of 2010, however, mobile phonesubscriptions had reached five billion worldwide with subscriptions from developing countries outnumbering that of the developed countries (Kelly, 2019; Rebello 2010). Obviously, this increase includes a sharp increase in the number of cell phones used by the younger generations.

Quality of media content is among the most popular mobile content, because it is easy to circulate on the mobile device and the smartphone interface greatly simplifies the process of accessing news. With new functionality in the current mobile environment, the 3G-enabled mobile device has expanded beyond a person-to-person conversational device to a media-rich platform for delivering news (Wei, 2018). In fact, the number of mobile news apps download has been increased in many countries, including South Korea, even though newspaper reading has significantly decreased since the new millennium (Westlund & Bohlin, 2018). Moreover, a recent report from the Pew Research Center (2012) also supports the phenomenon, showing that over half of smartphone users accessed news with their mobile phone.

Furthermore, as mobile media delivery services have become diversified, users can select online news channels on mobile devices based on their specific preferences. For example, mobile users are able to easily access news content anywhere anytime by visiting mobile news websites (mobile news apps) and/or logging into social media services such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and Metoday (Falaki et al., 2010). In fact, social networking services comprise a large segment of online news services in which users share, bookmark, and reproduce news content. Given the aforementioned news sources on mobile devices, how people use such sources can be influenced by diverse psychological factors. First, a number of previous studies have argued that news consumption behaviors are dictated by motivations for consuming news on mobile devices. In particular, uses and gratifications theory (U&G) explains such a relationship by arguing that individuals’ media usage behaviors are guided by specific needs and motivations (Rubin, 2012, 2019). In addition to motivation, the present study postulates that the perception of mobile device suitability to accessing news can also influence people’s mobile news consuming behaviours by driving certain motivations. In other words, if people perceive a mobile device as a good tool for accessing certain types of news, then they are more likely to use it for that perceived purpose, which in turn leads to specific usage patterns.

For many college students today, the media is an overwhelming hodgepodge of headlines, posts, alerts, tweets, visuals, and conversations that stream at them throughout the day. While some stories come from news media sites students choose to follow, other content arrives uninvited, tracking the digital footprints that many searchers inevitably leave behind. But news consumption for most students is not entirely random or passive. In the course of any given day, some may take a deep dive into a story that piques their interest. They may spend hours Googling a topic to learn more. Others will explore a current controversy and may get different sides of an argument from a YouTube clip and then validate information with a search of a mainstream and reliable news site, trying to figure out what’s credible, what’s true. Most recognize that engaging with news requires effort to assemble, evaluate, and interpret news content as it’s delivered in the 21st century. Although many make this extra effort, others do not. News plays a critical role in helping students navigate and understand the world, engage with social and learning communities, and participate in a democracy, but few studies have examined how college-age students find and use news. Today, choices for news are profuse and objective coverage is increasingly mixed in with a deluge of poorer-quality online content and misinformation, making the need to understand news access and engagement behaviors even more urgent.Furthermore, the study intends to assess mobile phone on quality of media content amongst students.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

With the expansion of mobile technology, news organizations are seeking ways to deliver content faster to an information-hungry public. Cell phones are able to shoot, edit, and deliver visual content as long as a signal is present. Broadband technology allows the content producer versatility in speed to upload and post news. Tablet technology, along with WiFi, is allowing users a larger screen to view content. With available editing software, content creators, including journalists, are migrating to mobile tools to capture and produce news. Tablets and cell phones offer the ability to capture video, still photos, record audio and edit the content. Moreover, mobile content production tools are usually cheaper than established video cameras, audio recorders and digital single reflex lens (DSLRs) cameras used for news photography, and new technology allows the journalist to be flexible and mobile without having to carry large, bulky information-gathering tools. Despite the benefits of new technology, questions about news production quality remain. For example, cell phones do not allow content producers to zoom in for closer video shots, and video and sound may be less clear. As such, will audience members distinguish—and tolerate—qualitative differences between the visual presentation of mobile and traditional newsgathering technology? Most research on quality has focused primarily on the content producer’s point of view. Little attention has been paid to how an audience perceives the quality of a new product. To date, most of these studies have focused on the influence of the content upon satisfying audience needs rather than the technical presentation of the news stories. Given the pervasiveness of new technology in society and the potential benefits of its use for newsgathering, the purpose of this study was to investigate audience perceptions of credibility and quality of media using mobile phones.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the study is examine the assessment of mobile phoneon quality of media contentamongst students. Specific objectives of the study are:

To examine how users’ perceptions of the suitability of mobile phones for obtaining mobile news drives mobile users’ motives
To examine the particular types of motivations associated with mobile-based consumption of different kinds of news.
To examine quality of media content from mobile phone amongst students
To examine how students determine the credibility of media content they encounter from mobile phone
To examine the influence of mobile phone on quality of media content amongst students
To examine the challenges confronting the students regarding assessingmedia with the use of mobile phones.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

How is the users’ perception of the suitability of mobile phones for obtaining mobile news drives mobile users’ motives?
What are the particular types of motivations associated with mobile-based consumption of different kinds of news?
How is the quality of media content from mobile phone amongst students?
How do students determine the credibility of media content they encounter from mobile phone?
How is the influence of mobile phone on quality of media content amongst students?
What are the challenges confronting the students regarding assessing media with the use of mobile phones.

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

Hypothesis 1

H0: Mobile phone has no significant influence on quality of media content amongst students

H1: Mobile phone has a significant influence on quality of media content amongst students

Hypothesis 2

H0: There is no relationship between mobile phone and quality of media content amongst students.

H1: There is a significant relationship between mobile phone and quality of media content amongst students.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of importance to the students of higher institutions as the study seek to emphasize on the dangers of relying on information published on site, and the benefit accrue to students who make use of this site as a source of information. The study will also be beneficial to the owners of media network site, as the study will suggest possible ways of improving on the quality of information published on the site as they can influence the lifestyle of the student, the study will be useful to researchers who intends to embark on a study in a similar topic, as the study will serve as a reference point, finally the study will be useful to the students, teachers, lecturers, academia’s and the general public as the findings will add to the pool of existing literature.

1.7SCOPE OF THE STUDY 

The study is based on assessment of mobile phoneon quality of media contentamongst students, a study of Oyo correspondents.

1.8 LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Mobile Phones: A mobile phone is a wireless handheld device that allows users to make and receive calls and to send text messages, among other features. The earliest generation of mobile phones could only make and receive calls. Today’s mobile phones, however, are packed with many additional features, such as web browsers, games, cameras, video players and even navigational systems. A mobile phone may also be known as a cellular phone or simply a cell phone.

Media: Refers to communication channels through which news, Entertainment, education, data or promotional messages are disseminated. Media includes every broadcasting and narrowcasting medium such as newspapers, magazines, TVs, radio, billboards, direct mail, telephone, fax and Internet.

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