The Use of the Internet as a Means of Communication by University of Ghana Students

Abstract

This study was conducted with the aim of finding out the extent of students' use of the Internet and its applications on the University of Ghana campus. The kinds of communication students did on the internet were investigated; so were the extent of students' familiarity with the Internet and the problems faced during students' internet usage. Both the qualitative and quantitative methods were used for sampling, data collection and analysis of data. The main findings of the study indicated that students were aware of the Internet and some of its applications. All the respondents used the Internet and were familiar with, except about a tenth of them who could not use the technology for lack of the necessary training and skills. It was also discovered that respondents used the Internet mainly for emails. The main obstacles to students' use of the Internet were the lack of Internet in their various departments and the lack of adequate funds for accessing the Internet from Internet cafes. A significant relationship has been established between gender and students’ choice of internet applications. That is, among resident students of the University of Ghana, from which the sample was drawn for this study, gender is likely to influence the kind of application students choose for communication on the internet. In addition, one’s age or the course one offers is likely to influence how often one uses the internet for communication.