Impact of social media content on adolescent cognitive empowerment in Kampala

Abstract

The study aimed at examining the effects of Social Media content on the cognitive empowerment of adolescents in Kampala. The study adopted a quantitative study design which was correlation in nature with a population of 150 adolescents. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 109 respondents from the population. Data was collected from respondents using self-administered standard questionnaire and entered in the computer for analysis through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 23. Descriptive statistics showed that there more females (79.8%) compared to males (20.2%), majority were between 10-14 years (59.6%). Results from percentages indicated there are high levels of social media content addiction by adolescents (80.7%), and low levels of adolescent cognitive empowerment (20.2%). Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) further indicated that there was no relationship between social media content addiction and adolescent cognitive empowerment, (r= -.143**, p=.137). Therefore, the present study provides a basis and implications for further investigation on the levels of adolescent social media content addiction, adolescent cognitive empowerment and relationship between social media content and cognitive empowerment among adolescents in Kampala. It was recommended that the local authorities in different communities in Kampala need to provide guidance to adolescents on how to use social media content and put regulations in order to improve their cognitive empowerment.