The Gendered Face of Social Media Use Among Teenagers in Ghana A Comparative Study Of St. Mary’s And Presbyterian Boys Senior High Schools.

Abstract

The study observed the use of social media sites amongst male and female teenagers residing in Ghana, with the focus on students from St. Mary’s and Presbyterian (Presec) Boys Senior High Schools. The study specifically sought to identify the type, number of social networking sites both genders use and the frequency of their engagement with these sites. The study also tried to find out the intersection between gender, personality traits and usage of social networking sites. It also attempted to identify specific purposes and motivations both genders got in using a particular social media site(s). Two hundred students from both schools were surveyed. The scholarship was underpinned by the Uses and Gratifications as well as the Social Role theories. SPSS (The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22) was adopted as the software to analyze the research data. Findings of the study revealed gender differences in Ghanaian teenagers’ social networking sites usage based on type, number and frequency of usage. The study found gender differences in their motivation and gratification obtained from using these sites. Nonetheless, the study revealed that, though the differences existed, the gender gap in social media usage by teenagers in Ghana is not significant. The study did not discover any significant connection between both sexes’ personality traits and the frequency or extent of social media use.