Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (SJHSS)
Volume-4 | Issue-05 | 335-341
Original Research Article
Influence of Social Media Reportage on Migration to Malaysia among Undergraduates
Nkwam-Uwaoma Adeline O., Ojiakor-Umenze Ifeoma C, Ekpo Emem
Published : May 22, 2019
Abstract
Migration has become one of the defining issues in this globalised world. This is a known fact as research has shown that
there have been periods of displacement and misplacement across borders and boundaries. The attention given to
migration in recent times is quite alarming as individuals are now leaving their countries in search of jobs, medical care
and education. There are events which have claimed the lives of so many Africans and despite these happenings, the
increase in migration cannot be over emphasized. It is at the backdrop of this that this study sought to investigate the
influence of social media reportage on migration to Malaysia. Anchoring this study on technological determinism theory
of communication, a sample of 375 respondents were administered questionnaire using a multi stage sampling technique.
Findings revealed that respondents are exposed to and are aware of social media stories on the flamboyant lifestyle of
Malaysian returnees. Also, respondents show positive attitude to Malaysian migrants who return with a lot wealth in spite
of the bad image they have been associated with. Therefore, the study recommended that social media users should be
ethical in their reportage in order not to mislead the audience and that respondents should imbibe the culture of self
censorship so as to check the attitudes that are formed as a result of exposure to social media messages.