Relationship between Social Media Use and Development of Crop Production Skills in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The current study examined the information preferences of the subscribers of various agricultural content accounts on social media as well as the perceived impact of social media on crop production skills in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from the subscribers of the agricultural content accounts of Saudi Arabia on social media using an online survey with the help of a structured questionnaire and a convenient sampling methodology. Both descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were run to analyse the data. The majority (81%) of the respondents preferred agricultural information in the form of videos, followed by photos (75%). Moreover, a moderate to high impact was reported by the respondents on their various agricultural skills. Trust in social media had a significant negative correlation with respondents’ perceived impact on their crop production skills. The respondents’ preferences for a particular type of information had a significant positive correlation with the perceived impact of social media on their crop production skills. We conclude that subscribers’ trust in social media and their preference for agricultural information in the form of videos are the critical factors that may shape their behaviourpositively.