| Title: | Social Media as Social Bonders: Perspectives for Nation Building and Integration in Nigeria |
| Author(s): | Oludare Ebenezer Ogunyombo |
| Abstract: | Two critical challenges faced by any nation are the challenge of nation-building (or the creation of unity among heterogeneous members of the polity); and the challenge of participation which refers to the extent to which people influence decisions which affects their lives. In terms of creating a form of cohesion and active participation on issues of common interest among the citizens, the social media have been found very relevant. Based on the propositions of the symmetry and symbolic interactionism theory, this paper took a cursory approach at examining the social media as major tools for social bonding in nation building and national integration based on the evidence of their use in achieving common goals in selected cases across social, economic and political matters. Thus, the paper proposed that the social media should be deliberately adopted by development and socio-political agents as a major element in the social system to achieve social bonding among the citizens when engaged on matters that require collective responsibility to achieve peace and security and avoid nation failure. |
| Keywords: | Nation Building, Nation Failure, National Integration, Social Bonders, Social Media |
