CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

From the beginning, man was created to fill a void and to occupy the entire physical structure of the universe and to interact with plants and animals as it were. He was not created to live in isolation. Thus, after the creation of Adam, God, seeing the chronic loneliness that characterized Adam’s life, created Eve for a mutual intelligibility. This means that the basis for human relationship was divine and purposeful. This, however, explains why man is a social being, meant to associate with others for effective, efficient and balanced life. Supporting this view, Anibueze (2005, p.61), writes thus:

Prior to the age of settlement, at the initial stage of man’s evolution, man was a wanderer. As his consciousness of his environment increased he recognized the need to associate with the things around him. Man became a social being from the age of settlement when he began  to communicate mutually with one another.

The above, therefore presuppose that man is a being who cannot exist without other. His life is culturally interwoven into the fabric of his fellow man with whom he speaks, works, laughs, plays and lives with every single moment. Explaining further the basis of human relationship, Anibueze (2005), notes that the existence of man in the universe cannot be understood and appreciated without reference to his relationship with other people in the society. This means that how much man is loved, cherished, appreciated and brought closer to the heart is a matter of the number of people he knows and interacts with.

In the light of the above, Ezinwa (2006, p.118), submits that “relationship is a special kind of entity that links two individuals or groups”. It is a separate entity from the individuals that constitutes it. Again, Stewart and D’ Angelo (1988), cited in Agbo and Ezinwa (2006, p.118), note that the participation of the relational partners creates a new and different social entity called “the relationship”. Each relationship is an entity of its own with strengths and weakness that go beyond the strengths and weakness of the individuals that make up the relationship. It is therefore, the responsibility of the parties involved in a relationship to work towards building a “perfect and productive relationship”. This begins basically by defining the needs (what each partner intends to gain) from such relationship. In other words, every relationship is “contractual and mutually exclusive”. Each partner contributes his/her own quota to sustain it.

Commenting on this, Agbo and Ezinwa (2006, p.87) avers that “must relationship is a product of one or more human needs”. That is, every individual enters into a relationship based on needs satisfaction-what each member would gain from such a partnership. In a very simple language, relationship is a give-and-take affair. This explains why a relationship in which only one party gives his idea, time, money and other necessities does not last long.

However, advancement in human society and the emergence of a “new world” characterized by a plethora of information and communication technologies has continued to change the frontier of human relationships. This is because the emergence of online media platforms have interfered greatly in the social structure of the human society. Life in generality has changed and the modus operandi of human affairs has taken a new posture.    

In today’s age where mobile phones, internet, the World Wide Web, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, Skype, Imo, Linkedin, Snapchat, and other interactive online media have emerged, scholars have theorized new ways by which humans interact. In the words of Asemah (2011, p.219).

There have been numerous attempts by researchers to formulate a theory that explains the nature of online interactions. While the earliest theories focused on  More negative suspects, frequently depicting online communication as depersonalizing, more recently developed theories are more optimistic, characterizing online interactants  as capable of forming impressions and relationships with those they meet online. One such theory is called information processing theory. 

The social information processing theory was developed by Joseph Walther in 1992. It is an interpersonal communication theory which suggest that online interpersonal relationship development might require more time to develop than traditional face-to-face relationships. Once established, online personal relationships demonstrate the same relational dimensions and qualities as face to face relationships that would not be formed in face to face world due to intergroup differences.

The theory thus sees people as human beings capable of adopting and interpreting alternate methods to form impressions of others in the absence of cues present in face to face interaction. Instead of passively allowing the internet to influence and shape people’s communication behaviours, people use the internet and the cues it provides to interpreted and form impressions of others. People are thus capable of taking the low band with media and using the limited cues it provides us with, to construct perceptions of others (Asemah, 2011, p.219).

Walter (2002), proposes that users of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) have the same interpersonal needs as those communicating face-to-face, he believes that the lack of visual cues inherent in Computer Mediated Communication are disadvantages to be overcome overtime. In today’s world, where the internet and other forms of technologies have dominated the world, people tend to be more present in the virtual community where they have access to interact with others through Chatrooms. This appears to be the dominant culture, especially, among the educated users populations, which constitutes mostly the youths.

In line with the above, Ekeanyawu and Edewor (2010), avers that the rate of adoption and usage of the digital technologies in Africa, especially, among students is becoming alarming. They use the internet often for social reasons than for academic purpose. The hope, through, is prevalent that this may expand the frontier of their social relations and expose them to the emotional needs of others.

Online relationships are the dominant features of interactive media. People are now very prone to seeking relationship on the social media. This explains why Delacey and Leonard (2002), have noted that scholars of media have long realized that “advances in computing and information technology are changing the way people meet and communicate. People can meet, talk and work together outside traditional meeting and office spaces”. As Habermas (1989, p.4), right deduced, that the constellation and convergence of new media had necessitated the creation of new public spheres with its attendant nuances.

Today, emerging technologies have staged a multiplicity of platforms where virtual interactions have been made possible. The platforms range from Facebook, Whatsapp, 2go, Twitter, YouTube, Skype, Instagram, Linkedin, Google plus to blog and internet and other user interactive media around the world. Today, human interactions have over grown space barrier. Interpersonal relationships like dating have gone beyond face-to-face communication. The rigour of letter writing has been permanently erased as such online interactive media have made the process of creating relationship less cumbersome. It is not difficult to say anything to anyone on the social media, because their influence and personality traits are less recognized; rather, only their emotional presence is felt on the web through their interactive feedback messages-how technology eases human life (Agber, 2012).

The engagement of new media has facilitated the ability of people to schedule meetings, creates new opportunities of learning processes, and new disseminating that is in-debilitating the constraints of geographic-spartial demand and the dynamics of interpersonal communication. In the presence of the new media, Agber (2012), simply stated “physical, geographical, socio-economic, political and cultural distances are fast disappearing”.

Damian and Attah (2014, p.22), have said that by granting new forms of interconnectivity and interactivity hitherto unknown, by altering the process of media text creation and consumption within the reach of the generality of people, the employment of the social media especially after web 2.0 has radically altered for all times, the dynamics of forms of interaction and relationships. It is equally true to assert that the engagement of the new media is altering the modus operandi of many different aspects of society.    

It is against this backdrop, therefore, that the researcher seeks to investigate the way people respond to online interpersonal relationship as theorized by the social information processing theory, using the youths in Ikot Ekpene Urban as a reference point.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Many scholars in the past have theorized about human relationship in today’s age where technology is creating another social continuum and bringing people together from all parts of the world regardless of geographic-spartial distances. People seek among other things, friendship in the internet and demand for new models in building fast and strong relationship with people they may not have seen before or barely know.

This, reiterate the way technology is so responsible for the collapse of time and space, thus questioning global virtues and morality. Joseph Walter in Obegu (2011, p.101) believes that when humans meet on the internet and social media to discuss relationship, they will certainly need more time than those who meet face to face. They will need time to gain more information about others. This is because the amount of information gotten determines the level of trust and uncertainty reduction. This is the belief of social information processing theory. 

But unfortunately, people tend to act on the contrary while meeting others online requesting for friendship. People especially the youths seem to hastily rush into relationship, accept to visit or totally disclose information about themselves to online friends. This has been a peculiar practice among youths, especially, students in both secondary and post secondary schools.

Many youths have even lost their lives in the process of training to play “easy to get”, by cheaply following online friends in real time with confidence and trust meant for long rime known physical friends. This practice is common among youth girls and women generally. But it is not certain whether the youths in Ikot Ekpene take time to ascertain their relationships with online friends. It is upon this uncertainty that this study is designed.

1.3     Research Objectives

The research objectives of the study were to:

1. Find out the extent to which Ikot Ekpene youth contract online relationship.
2. Investigate whether the youth in Ikot Ekpene take time to access information about their online friends before accepting the relationship.
3. Find out how long it takes the youths in Ikot Ekpene to get involved in or get along with their online partners.
4. Examine the category of Ikot Ekpene youths that easily rush into relationship with their online partners.
5. Find out whether the level of time taken and information gotten define their relationship with their online partners.

1.4     Research Questions

The following research questions were advanced to guide the study as follows:

1. To what extent to which Ikot Ekpene youth contract online relationship?
2. Do the youth in Ikot Ekpene take time to access information about their online friends before accepting the relationship?
3. How long does it takes the youths in Ikot Ekpene to get involved in or get along with their online partners?
4. Which category of Ikot Ekpene youths do easily rush into relationship with their online partners?
5. Does the level of time taken and information gotten define their relationship with their online partners?

1.5     Research Hypothesis

The hypothesis of this study was stated in the alternate as follows:

Hi: The application of the principle of social information processing theory significantly enhances online interpersonal relationships among youth in Ikot Ekpene Urban.

1.6     Justification of the Study

On completion of this study, its findings will provide information on the use of the principle of social information processing theory in online interpersonal relationship. That is, how such principles have aided or militated against successfully online relationship. Such will help the youths in Nigeria generally to understand social demand on contracting online relationship, and thus call for a rethink on maintaining public ethics in a bid to satisfy desperation.

The study will also propel further researches on other theories that offer assumption on the appreciate modus operandi for contracting online relationship.

On the  whole, this work is also significant because it will be  a useful and reliable source of reference materials to other researchers who may venture into similar study in the future.

1.7     Delimitation of the Study

This study was delimited to only the social information processing theory as it affect online interpersonal relationship. The study did not attempt to study any other theory that offers to explain the modus for accessing online relationships.

The scope of the study was also delimited to Ikot Ekpene youths only not the youths in other parts of the state.

1.8     Limitation of the Study

In the course of carrying out the study, the researcher was limited by myriads of factors.

These limitations, no doubt, posed a very serious threat on the success of this study. One of such limitation is the poor unlimited access in gaining the population figure for this study. Also, the respondent requested for financial buoyancy before filling out the questionnaire.

However, the researcher was able to bring these limitations to a halt by getting over them to progress on the work, thus making the researcher work a success.

1.9     Definition of Terms

The following key terms and concepts used in the study were operationally defined as follows:

1. Ikot Ekpene Urban: One of the Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State. Its urban region constitutes the universe of the study.
2. Online Interpersonal Relationshio: A social relationship which Ikot Ekpene youths engage with others they find on the social media platforms.
3. Social Information Processing Theory: This is a principle that explains that Ikot Ekpene youths would need to take more time to find out more about those who seek relationship with them online before giving their consent or agreeing to it.
4. Youths: Those who are between the ages of 18-35 in Ikot Ekpene and contract interpersonal relationship online, usually by adopting the principles of social information processing theory.