Abstract:

There is an empirical evidence that social media are capable of lulling Nigerian users into passivity, giving them the impression that just by commenting on social media platforms, they have helped to solve Nigeria’s social or political problems without taking any practical action. However, during the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, social media seemed to demonstrate the capability to spur Nigerians into political participation, and helped them to match their online energy with the willingness to contribute to providing solutions to Nigeria's social or political problems, leading one to wonder if social media activism is beginning to translate to social and political participation in the real world. Does this evidence challenge the purported narcotizing dysfunction of the social media in Nigeria?