SOCIAL MEDIA AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT AMONG RESIDENTS OF EDO STATE, NIGERIA

The world today has become a global village of the advancement of the information and communication technology. Apart from the physical economy, it was created a digital economy where almost all that can take place in the physical can also take place. Does this have any impact on the development of the family? This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between online marketing, social media and family development among residents of Edo state. This study will adopt the correlational survey design. Three research questions were raised to guide the study, while three corresponding hypotheses were formulated for this study. The sample of people living in the three senatorial districts of Edo State, Nigeria, was drawn using a multi-stage sampling approach. The Impart of Digital Economy Tools Scale (IDETS) was the tool used to gather the data. The analytical works were addressed using inferential statistics, the first two hypotheses were tested using the Pearson Product Moment method, and the third hypothesis was tested using the method of multiple regression at the threshold of 0.05 percent. From the results, it was found that there is a significant relationship between online marketing and use of social media and family development; and that online marketing has a higher influence on family development. Based on the above, it was recommended that families should explore the positive and development aspect of online marketing to the advantage of family development; family members should focus more on the development of the family, which is the main idea behind internet development and use than the pathological aspect; and finally, that the government should make policies towards the regulation of internet use to control for addiction/overuse.