CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Online social networks are more and more drawing the attention of people to the online world; making available the drive and reason to involve in a medium which until now held little attraction. Social networks such as Facebook cried to a vast audiences and appeal to the built incuriosity we have about other people and what they are doing with their lives. This curiosity which is triggered by the desire to know and learn more and relate with others can be used to fortify other offline activity. To expatiate more on this, let’s look at this instance; a group of careers may come together in a workshop to discuss or argue about problems and concerns they have in common. They may have theurge and need to proceed with their discussions at any time. The use of an online social network automatically becomes a way of sustaining communication and extended sharing of experience and learning. The fact that online social networks can provide a support needed for survival to those who are ignored, rejected and disengaged from family, friends and communities cannot be overemphasized. Hence, networks are in existence to in other to reinforcea good number of people from a desire to stop smoking, to coming to terms with a death in the family, to cultivating mushrooms. There is traditionally user generated content on the internet which can educate, engage and link like minds.

Social networks have been perceived as web-based services that permit individuals to put together a public or semi-public profile within a limited or constrained system.

In recent times, social Networks have gone through a sudden but extremedevelopment. These networks provide a high level of matching space to immediatelycirculate multimedia information between individuals and their neighbours in the social sphere. For sure, the sudden and extremedevelopment of social multimedia and user generated content is overthrowing all levels, segments of the content value chain together with production, processing, distribution and consumption. It also sprang and brought to the multimedia sector a new underestimated and now critical aspect of science and technology: social interaction and networking. Social networks if not properly utilized can cause more harm than good, ignoring positive aspects of it. The relevance of this recent fast moving study is vividlyproven by the many associated up and coming technologies and applications together with online content sharing services and communities, multimedia communication over the Internet, social multimedia search, interactive services and entertainment, health care and security applications. This has given birth to a freshstudy area known as social multimedia computing, in which well-established computing and multimedia networking technologies are gathered together with up and coming social media research. Social Networking Internet services are modifying and refashioning the way we interact with others, and of course the way we actually live. Social Networking is one of the major reasons that many people have become very eager Internet users; people who until the entrance of social networks could not find interests in the web. This is a very strong and healthypointer of all that is really happening online. Presently, users of social networks all produce and consume good quantities of multimedia content. Hence, this behaviour when merged with Social Networking has formed a new Internet age where multimedia content sharing through Social Networking Sites is an everyday, ever minute practice.

The problems of social networks cannot be ignored as it has become alarming. The major cause of the problem is due to the users’ are deficient of understanding.Social networking is the paramountframework to building and nurturing relationships and communication. This communication is what makes us human.Online networking does not only dwindleour people skills, the misuse and abuse of social sites can have a major side effects. These side effects are becoming more and more frequent amongst the waves of generations. 

STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM

The high rate of divorce among marriages in Nigeria has spark up debate on the major causes of this malady as it has made marriage unattractive as people do not want to go into marriages. the negative influences of social media on marriages and other sphere of life cannot be over emphasized.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To determine the level of involvement of married teachers in online social media in Osun state.
2. To examine how the use of online social network by couples causes marital conflicts.
3. To find out how social networking influences marital satisfaction.
4. To examine the role that online social network plays in couples perception of how they manage relationship conflict.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the level of involvement of married teachers in online social media in Osun state?
2. How does the use of online social network by couples cause marital conflicts?
3. How does social networking influence marital satisfaction?
4. What is the role that online social network plays in couples perception of how they manage relationship conflict?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: The participation in online social media does not influence marital satisfaction among couples in Nigeria.

H1: The participation in online social media influences marital satisfaction among couples in Nigeria.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study would address the influence of social networking on marriages as it would proffer solutions to the high level of marital problems as a result of involvement of married couples on social networking sites. The study would also benefit students, researchers and scholars who are interested in developing further study on the subject matter.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to online social network and marital conflicts among married teachers in Osun state.

LIMITATION OF THE 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.