DATA ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF COVENANT UNIVERSITY USES OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA

This data is on what and how undergraduate students of Covenant University, Nigeria use the social media. A survey was carried out among 2,798 undergraduate students. A close ended questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. These data indicate that they mainly use the social media for personal communication, information search, entertainment, academic as well as non-academic purposes. They use the social media for private messaging, socialization and sharing of ideas with their families, friends, colleagues and lecturers. These respondents are of the opinion that the paramount benefit they have derived from using the social media is freedom of expression as the social media provide the platforms for them to do so. The respondents spend at least an hour or two every day using the social media.