Abstract

Social media provide a platform through which societies can either be constructed or destabilized.

In view of the ongoing bloody conflicts in Cameroon, this study examines the extent to which social media could pose as a security threat (particular focus on community security) amongst adolescents in Buea, capital of the South West Region in Cameroon

The study uses a quantitative approach, through the collection of data from adolescents in four communities in (Buea, Bomaka, Mile 16, and Molyko).

These four areas are selected because the current socio-political crisis rocking two Anglophone regions of the country – Northwest and Southwest, is particularly severe in these communities.

Social media (notably Facebook and WhatsApp) spread dangerous content, and adolescents are vulnerable to such contained Findings indicate that there is a high rate of social media use (Facebook and WhatsApp) amongst adolescents survey

Also, the most discussed items on social media are socio-cultural issues (68%), as opposed to political issues (17.8 Respondents were receptive to discussions on socio-cultural issues like dressing, language and relationships.

Results show that though adolescents come across violent content on social media, they have distanced themselves from be partly because of the judicial consequences of doing so, as contained in the country’s Terrorism Law of December 2014.

The implication here is that, since the adolescents are not yet intoxicated. With destructive social media content, need exists for the effective education of the adolescents, to enable the vulnerable people.

                                                        Chapter one

                                                    General introduction

1.1. Introduction

1.2. Background of study

With the coming of the media and communication which is advancing in the society and has a relation with the community. There is a symbolic interaction between media technologies and human’s because they use them for their communication purpose. The high-lighted assession holds during this period it is difficult to separate the study of these two vitalconcept.

The United states, National security strategy acknowledge the face of technologies in empowerment of human’s to lead and create and communicate better. Those who disrupt and destroy (UNSNSS, 2010) change in technology and transfer the social construct which in turn shape attitude, behavior, experience.

During conflict period the social media has a greater influence and this can be examine in the following directions.

This increase the spread and the dissemination of information and this transform the following available to conflict actor’s thereby slapping the conflict itself [zeitzeff 2017].

This have the view that social media helps to mobilize, manipulate and expose violence and injustice in the society  [Joachim 2017] here social media can be seen as having both positive and negative influence during conflict situation.

The spiral effect is what is happening in democracies across the world today including Cameroon were radical demand for change and the media in particular and the media in general. During the early days of the crisis in Cameroon, separatist created Facebook page with groups.

The Ambazonian freedom fighters and use these medium for spreading messages on Whatsapp for rail the masses through messages especially those from English speaking zone of Cameroon as well as those of the diaspora who are Anglophones who were against the government.

Through this pages their act got stronger until the impose ghost town thus confirming that Facebook and Whatsapp pose security threats by intensity conflict in their role as media.

In the past, communication and internet was seen as a problem because of affordability but it has change because is an important setting of human socialization

1.3. PROBLEM STATEMENT

The use of this media platform is likely to cause several negative effect for nation security and unfavourable conquence for state strategic interest.

With the advance nature of social media it has because a lot of security threat on the information on the information on the social media sphere it is negative or positive.

In the course of giving out news in the media platform by late adolescent were by the give out right information

1.4. RESEARCH QUESTION

– How do adolescent in Buea Cameroon use Facebook and Whatapp

– What are the dimension of security threat that result from use of social media platform by adolescents in Buea Cameroon

– What possible measures can be put in place to counter the ill effect of social networking on adolescents.

1.5. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

* GENERAL OBJECTIVE

    To examine how the use of social media platform, Facebook and WhatsApp with in Buea municipality affect the lives of adolescent and that of the likelihood of exposing them to different   dimension security threat.

* SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE

­­- To identify the use pattern of Facebook and WhatsApp amongst adolescent.

­- Examine the various dimension of security threat resulting from the use of social media

– To assess possible ways by which social media influence on adolescent can be mitigated

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