An Evaluation of Internet Usage among Senior Secondary

School Students in Public Schools in Lagos State

SAMUEL, Noah Oluafemi
Department of Broadcasting &
Communication Technology
Lagos State University
Ojo, Lagos
igeria
!aper for the a"ard of
Bachelor of Science Degree in
Communication Technology
Correspondence regarding the paper to samnoah#$$%&yahoo'com
A!S"#A$"
(t various fora, papers have )een delivered on *nternet access and usage among college students'
( num)er of scholars have made researches on *nternet usage among young people especially
those "ithin the teenage age, relating such result to a num)er of factors including "ell+)eing,
self+esteem and the li,es'
-o"ever, the focus of this research "or, "as to carry out an evaluation of *nternet usage among
senior secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos State' The "or, "as meant to
determine if the students appreciate the *nternet as an educational tool, ho" often they ma,e use
of the *nternet, the purpose to "hich they put the *nternet if they ever used it and finally, ho"
afforda)le is it for them to access the *nternet'
*n accomplishing the set o)jective, the researcher then employed the survey method to gather
data from the students' %. sets of structured /uestions "ere arranged in a /uestionnaire and
shared in 0 schools under 0 randomly selected local governments "ithin the state' The total
num)er of copies of /uestionnaire shared "as %1$, out of "hich %23 433'0056 "as retrieved'
The returned copies of /uestionnaire "ere therefore analy7ed using simple mathematical
approach and the result displayed in ta)les and in pie charts "ith fre/uency of response and
corresponding percentages' The findings sho" that *nternet access is lo" among senior
secondary school students' 8rom the result, a)out 035 of the respondents cannot even operate a
computer let alone ,no"ing anything a)out the *nternet'
9ith these findings, the researcher therefore recommended that government should increase
effort in ma,ing computer and *nternet facilities availa)le for students in pu)lic schools in order
for them to )e a)le to ta,e advantage of *nternet technology in their learning'
2
Introduction
Origin of the Internet
*n the %31$s, the U'S' Department of Defense started researching "ays to create a decentrali7ed
communications system that "ould allo" researchers and government officials to communicate
"ith one another in the aftermath of a nuclear attac,' ( computer net"or, seemed to )e the most
logical "ay to accomplish this, so the military formed the (dvanced :esearch !rojects (gency
4(:!(6 to study "ays to connect net"or,s' (t the time, there "as no relia)le "ay to com)ine
local area net"or,s 4L(s6, "hich connected computers in a single location, and "ide area
net"or,s 49(s6, "hich connected computers across "ide geographic areas' (:!( sought to
create a com)ination of L(s and 9(s that "ould )e called ;internet"or,<= (:!( engineers
later shortened the term to internet 4Comer, in >rant & ?eado"s, #$$#@%AA6'
*n the year %3A. at the height of the Cold 9ar, most of the !entagonBs 4United States6
confidential information "as already stored on computers' These computers "ere housed at
strategic locations throughout the US' (n idea is mounted to have these computers connected )y
some means so that even in the event of "hat "as thought )y many at that time as an eminent
nuclear attac,, the information from all the remaining functioning computers could still )e
o)tained from any one of the other' 4http@CC"""'allsands'com6
By %3A3, (:!( had successfully interconnected four computers in Stanford University,
University of California Los (ngeles, University of California Santa Bar)ara and the University
of Utah= these four computers are the earliest predecessors of the *nternet, creating "hat came to
)e called (dvanced :esearch !rojects (gency et"or, 4(:!(DT6' *nterest in (:!(DT
from academic, government agencies, and research organi7ations fueled rapid gro"th of the
3
net"or, during the %3E$s' By %3E1, there "ere a)out %$$ computers connected to (:!(DT,
and the num)er gre" to %,$$$ )y %3.2 4Clemente, in >rant & ?eado"s, #$$#@%AA6' *n %3.0,
(:!(DT )ecame formally ,no"n as the *nternet, and the num)er of computers connected to it
continued to gro" at a phenomenal rate 4>rant & ?eado"s, #$$#@%AA6'
*n (:!(DT, the )urden of information transfer and communication "as put solely on the
computers that made it up' This meant that each computer "as responsi)le in pac,aging the
information as "ell as ma,ing sure it reached its intended destination' The "ires that made the
net"or, connection only served as conduit and nothing more' *n order to facilitate
communication )et"een computers, a computer protocol 4set of rules )y "hich computers
communicate6 "as esta)lished' This protocol "as eventually called the Transfer Control !rotocol
and *nternet !rotocol or TC!C*! for short' To this day, TC!C*! is the most "idely used protocol
on the *nternet 4and in many private net"or,s or *ntranets as "ell6' 4http@CC"""'allsands'com6
The years after %3A3 according to """'allsands'com sa" many computers lin,ing up to
(:!(DT and adding to its information data)ase' (s the Cold 9ar su)sided, many more
educational, private and commercial net"or,s joined in as mentioned a)ove' The years )et"een
%3E% and %330 "ere a period of intense innovation in "hich almost all of the tools of the
*nternet, "hich "e ta,e for granted today, "ere invented' (mong them "ere the electronic mail
4e+mail, %3E%6, 8ile Transfer !rotocol 48T!, used for file do"nloads, %3E06, User et"or,
4USDDT, premier discussion channel %3E36, the famous *nternet :elay Chat 4*:C, %3..6 and
last )ut not least the 9orld 9ide 9e) 4999, %33%6' (ll these inventions served to add
functionality to the *nternet and "ere directly responsi)le for its gro"ing acceptance among
users'
4
But the *nternet still remained in the realms of scientific and educational usage' Something "as
missing= something that "ould ma,e it instantaneously accepta)le even to the novice computer
user' That much a"aited something "as provided )y ?osaic, the first 9orld 9ide 9e) )ro"ser
in %330' Computer soft"are, ?osaic revolutioni7ed the "ay information "as stored, presented
and searched on the *nternet' The effects "ere astounding' *n the siF years since the release of
?osaic, an additional E# million host "ere connected to the *nternet, a %$0+fold increase from
the year )efore the release of ?osaic 4*nternet Soft"are Consortium6'
?osaic and its later successors such as etscape avigator and *nternet DFplorer "ere directly
responsi)le in the )lossoming forth of the *nternet' But things did not stop there' The year %331
sa" the first search engine created and more innovations in the follo"ing years li,e the *nternet
!hone, Gideo Conferencing, HavaScript, ?ultimedia enhancements and 9e) Television= )lurring
the distinction )et"een the Television and computer' (t present the *nternet is not only a premier
source of ,no"ledge and information, )ut is increasingly )ecoming a major player in the field of
entertainment as "ell' 4http@CC"""'allsands'com6

?ira)ito and ?orgenstern 4#$$%@%.36 )elieved the *nternet is still an evolving net"or,' e"
information pools )ecome availa)le as additional computers are lin,ed to it' *nternet contri)utors
include government agencies, profit and non profit organi7ations, educational institutions, and
individuals' One can read government documents, send and receive e+mail, )ro"se through the
li)rary of congress, join discussion groups, and visit personali7ed information sites' *nternet+
)ased operations have also virtually eliminated geographical and time+)ased constraints' One can
retrieve information from around the "orld, #2 hours a day'
5
%orld Internet Usage and Po&ulation Statistics
(ccording to *nternet 9orld Stats 4Hune 0$, #$$.6, the "orldBs population is estimated to )e
A,AEA,%#$,#.. 4siF )illion, siF hundred and seventy siF million, one hundred and t"enty
thousand, t"o hundred and eighty eighty6'
The report also revealed that as at Decem)er 0%, #$$$, *nternet users in the "orld are put at
0A$,3.1,23# 4three hundred and siFty million, nine hundred and eighty five thousand, four
hundred and ninety t"o6 "hile the latest data for Hune 0$, #$$. puts the num)er of *nternet users
across the "orld at %,2A0,A0#,0A% 4one )illion, four hundred and siFty three million, siF hundred
and thirty t"o thousand, three hundred and siFty one6 out of "hich (frica *nternet users account
for 1%,$A1,A0$ 4fifty one million and siFty five thousand, siF hundred and thirty6'
8rom the report, the continent of (frica has the least 4E
th
position6 *nternet penetration rate in the
"orld standing at 1'05 "ith (siaBs %1'05 )eing the A
th
in the "orld' orth (merica has the
highest *nternet penetration rate "ith E0'A5 "hile OceaniaC(ustralia is at the second position
"ith 13'15 penetration rate'
-o"ever, despite having the lo"est penetration rate, (frica still has more *nternet users compare
to ?iddle Dast and OceaniaC(ustralia as reported on the "e)site' The "e)site recorded that as at
Hune 0$, #$$., *nternet users in the ?iddle Dast are estimated to )e 2%,303,#$$ 4forty one
million, nine hundred and thirty nine thousand, t"o hundred6 "hile in the OceaniaC(ustralia, the
num)er is #$,#$2,00% 4t"enty million, t"o hundred and four thousand, three hundred and thirty
one6 compared to that of (frica that is estimated to )e 1%,$A1,A0$ 4fifty one million, siFty five
thousand, siF hundred and thirty6'
*t continued that )et"een #$$$ + #$$. *nternet usage gro"th in (frica is put at %,$0%'#5 second
only to that of the ?iddle+Dast "hich is %,%EA'.5' *n the percentage of *nternet usage in the
6
"orld, (frica is pitched at 0'15, (sia 03'15, Durope #A'05, ?iddle Dast #'35, orth (merica
%E'$5, Latin (mericaCCari))ean 3'15 and OceaniaC(ustralia %'25'
(frican countries have advanced very much recently in *nternet usage, )ut still eFhi)it lo"
penetration rates' Statistics sho" for the second /uarter #$$., a "orld penetration rate of #%'35'
-o"ever, *nternet penetration in (frica "as 1'05, a fourth of the "orldBs average' ?ean"hile,
in a ta)le illustrating (fricaBs top %$ *nternet countries, igeria sits atop other (frica countries'
(s at Hune 0$, #$$., an estimated %$million people use the *nternet in igeria follo"ed closely
)y Dgypt "ith .'Amillion users, ?orocco "ith estimated E'0million, South (frica "ith
1'%million, (lgeria "ith 0'1million, Ienya "ith 0'$ million, #'$million Ugandans, %'.million
Tunisians, %'1million Sudanese and %'2million Jim)a)"eans' 4"""'internet"orldstats'com6
The gro"th of the *nternet in igeria can )e lin,ed "ith the gro"th in the telecommunication
sector of the igeria economy' (ccording to a report tagged Trends in Telecommunications
?ar,et in igeria 4CC, #$$16= "hich "as a report of the trend in the telecommunication sector
in igeria )et"een %333 and #$$2, *nternet users in igeria increased from less than half a
million in #$$# to a)out %'Amillion in #$$0 to %'. million in #$$2, representing increase in
penetration rates from $'0 in #$$# to %'0 in #$$0 to %'2 in #$$2'
This research "or, is therefore meant to eFamine and evaluate the use of *nternet among senior
secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos State' Considering the gro"th in the level
of *nternet a"areness among young people in igeria, can it )e said that students in senior
secondary schools in pu)lic schools in Lagos state are actually using the *nternet to enhance their
academic "or,K
7
Statement of the #esearch Problem
Students in the elementary schools, secondary and tertiary institutions can )enefit from the
"ealth of information availa)le on the *nternet' The *nternet can )e used for eFample in
searching for relevant materials related to oneBs academic "or,s, and also in ac/uiring any
information relevant for ,no"ledge ac/uisition' *n this light, this research "or, "ill )e
determining the usage of the *nternet among senior secondary school students in pu)lic schools
in Lagos State "ith particular emphasis on the percentage of the students that are familiar "ith
the *nternet and "hat they use the *nternet for'
!art of "hat the "or, intends to find out is the /uestion of afforda)ility' -o"ever, apart from
afforda)ility, it is in the researcherBs vie" as "ell that even if the students 4senior secondary
school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos state6 are a"are of the *nternet as a medium of
information and are a)le to afford the money to visit a cy)er cafL, it is possi)le the medium
4*nternet6 is not used for productive endeavor' This "or, "ill therefore shed light on the a)ove
and some other /uestions that might arise as the "or, progresses'
#esearch 'uestions
%' -o" "ell do secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos State understand the
*nternet as an educational toolK
#' -o" often do secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos State ma,e use of the
*nternetK
0' 8or "hat purpose do secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos State ma,e use
of the *nternetK
8
2' -o" afforda)le is the *nternet service to the senior secondary school students in pu)lic
schools in Lagos StateK
Pur&ose of the Study
The purpose of this research "or, is to ma,e clear, the main activity )eing carried out on the
*nternet )y the senior secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos state in order for
concerned authorities= parents, government and other policy ma,ers to initiate measures that
"ould )e employed in correcting any anomaly that may )e noticed through the "or,'
Significance of the Study
This study "ill )e so relevant in that it "ill allo" appropriate authorities, access to data relating
to *nternet usage among senior secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos state and
also enhance the formulation of appropriate policy "ith regard to *nternet usage among senior
secondary school students and young people at large' This imply that the "or, "ill stand to
inform parents, educational authorities in the state, educational authorities in the other states of
the federation and researchers "ho "ould need information relating to this in the future'
Sco&e of the Study
The scope of this "or, "ill cover the entire Senior Secondary School Students in !u)lic Schools
in Lagos State'
Limitation of the study
-o"ever, considering the resources that "ill )e re/uired in carrying out this research in the #$
federal+government approved local government areas in Lagos state, the survey for the research
9
"ill therefore )e limited to three selected local government areas "ithin the state' Data "ill )e
collected from just a school in each local government area'
!u)lic schools are chosen in this "or, )ecause a num)er of privately o"ned secondary schools
in the state have *nternet connection "hich the students can easily access "hen the need arises' *t
is also in the researcherBs vie" 4 su)ject to more research6, that students "ho are )eing sent to
these schools 4private6 are more li,ely to have parent "ho are averagely o,ay in terms of income
and so might )e a)le to afford *nternet connectivity at home'
10
Literature #evie
Introduction
The *nternet can trace its roots to the late %3A$s' *t started as a U'S' government project, the
(dvanced :esearch !rojects (gency et"or, 4(:!(DT6' Designed, in part, to eFperiment
"ith and to demonstrate decentrali7ed computer net"or,ing, (:!(DT eventually evolved into
the *nternet structure 4-o"ard, in ?ira)ito & ?orgenstern, #$$%@ %.36'
The *nternet has its comprehensive impact on all aspects of oneBs life no"adays "orld"ide
4(nnen)erg School of University of Southern California, #$$$6' *n )rief, the *nternet can )e
descri)ed as a glo)al data high+"ay' Mou can travel on this electronic road to eFchange
information "ith sites scattered across the glo)e 4?ira)ito & ?orgenstern, #$$%@%.36
The *nternet also remains a decentrali7ed entity' *t can )e vie"ed as a collection of independent
computer systems that no one individual or organi7ation o"ns' *t is almost li,e the 9ild 9est=
an information frontier "ithout )oundaries that is primarily governed )y technical standards
4*)id6'
The *nternet is an um)rella concept' There are other constituents of the *nternet li,e electronic
mail 4e+mail6, 9orld 9ide 9e) and several other features that ma,e the functionality of the
*nternet possi)le' The constituent elements of the *nternet as mentioned a)ove have uni/ue
functions they perform= the functions as "ell as )rief history of some of them are discussed in
the su)se/uent paragraphs under conceptual frame"or,'
11
$ON$EP"UAL (#AME%O#)
Electronic Mail *e+mail,
-istorically, it too, the telephone 2$ years to reach %$ million customers, and faF machines #$
years' !ersonal computers made it into that many (merican homes 1 years after they "ere
introduced' D+mail, "hich appeared in %3.%, )ecame popular far more /uic,ly, reaching %$
million users in little more than a year 4Specter, in 9illiams & Sa"yer, #$$0@ 06'
o technology has ever )ecome so universal so fast' ot surprisingly, then, one of the first
things ne" computer users learn is ho" to send and receive e+mail+ ;electronic mail,< messages
transmitted over a computer net"or,, most often the *nternet 49illiams & Sa"yer, #$$0@ 26
*t should )e noted that the connection )et"een t"o or more computers in a )uilding or "ithin an
organi7ation may not )e regarded as an *nternet connection' This is )ecause the resources )eing
shared is still "ithin the confinement of the computers in the net"or, as there are no any other
computers allo"ed access into such net"or,s'
Such net"or,s are sometimes referred to as *ntra+net"or,' To ma,e sure that the computers in
the *ntra+net"or, have access to other computers outside the *ntra+net"or,, there is need for
*nternet connection to )e done' The *nternet connection "ill then ena)le the computers in the
*ntra+net"or, to communicate "ith other computers outside the *ntra+net"or, hence, *nternet'
This service is provided )y organi7ations referred to as *nternet service providers'
12
"he %orld %ide %eb
The 9orld 9ide 9e) is referred to as the multimedia part of the *nternet' (part from e+mail, the
*nternet "as made popular )y the development of the 9orld 9ide 9e) N an interconnected
system of computers all over the "orld that store information in multimedia form' The "ord
multimedia, from ;multiple media,< refers to technology that presents information in more than
one medium, such as teFt, still images, moving images, and sound' *n other "ords, the 9e)
provides information in more than one "ay 49illiams & Sa"yer, #$$0@ 16'
The 9e) is a product of the S"iss+)ased CD: 4Duropean Council for uclear :esearch6
research center' The name is derived from the acronym for the 8rench Consell DuropLen !our la
:echerche uclLaire' *t "as pioneered )y Tim Berners+Lee to help facilitate the eFchange of
information, and )y the mid+%33$s, its popularity had soared 4?ira)ito & ?orgenstern,
#$$%@%3$6'
Students in different levels of secondary education can )enefit from the "ealth of information
availa)le on the *nternet' The *nternet can )e used in a num)er of school related tas,s from
searching for solutions to assignments, to loo,ing up personal information that "ould enhance
oneBs ,no"ledge'
*n a "or, focusing just on college freshmen )y ?organ and Cotton 4#$$06, it "as sho"n that
students spend an average of 0'3 hours per "ee, using email and %A'0 hours per "ee, using chat
room and instant messaging' 8urthermore, students "ere found to use the *nternet an average of
%%'3 hours per "ee, for non+communication purposes'
13
(s said previously, the main o)jective of this "or, therefore is to evaluate the patterns of
*nternet usage among senior secondary school students in pu)lic schools in Lagos State and also
to see if for eFample, there are some elements that hinder the use of the *nternet among the
students'
*t is also important to note that the age under consideration 4%2years N %3years6 is the time "here
in/uisitiveness is on the high side' *t is a period that all young people "ould "ant to find an
ans"er to the ;"hy< /uestion' ( num)er of young people under this age "ould therefore
naturally eFperiment "ith more things, in this case, the *nternet, in order to /uench the thirst to
,no"'
EMPI#I$AL #E-IE%
.ouths and Internet Usage
College students are often early adopters of ne" media 4-en,e, %3.1= Gincent & Basil, %33E6'
(lmost %$$5 of the US college class of #$$% "as connected to the *nternet 4?iller, #$$%6'
!rimary uses of the *nternet )y college students include social communication, entertainment,
easily ,eeping in touch "ith their friends, and communicating "ith friends and family= 2#5 of
college student *nternet users sociali7ed online 4!e", #$$#6'
*nternet usage has ta,en several dimensions among various age groups and genders' 8rom adults
to the aged, and from teenagers to children, different characteristics have )een o)served' *n the
past decade, it "as eFpected that gender predicts usage= that )oys spend more time online,
surfing the "e) and playing violent games, "hile girls chat or shop online' !art of the
assumption "as that *nternet use causes social isolation and depression, especially for teen' *t
14
"as also said that adolescents use the *nternet for anonymous identity eFperimentation 4>ross,
#$$26'
-o"ever, in her paper titled@ Adolescent Internet Use: What We Expect, What teens report,
>ross 4#$$26 found out that for the most part, adolescent )oysB and girlsB online activities have
)ecome more similar than different' On average, )oys and girls ali,e descri)ed their online social
interaction as@
4%6 Occurring in private settings such as e+mail and instant messages
4#6 9ith friends "ho are also part of their daily, offline lives, and
406 Devoted to fairly ordinary yet intimate topics 4for eFample, friends, gossip6'
Baym, Jhang and LinBs 4#$$26 study of US college studentsB communication diaries found that
the *nternet "as clearly integrated into college studentBs lives, and used as much as the
telephone' Social interactions on the *nternet "ere mostly through email 4E056, )ut also chat
4#$56 and *nstant ?essage 4E56' Still, most interactions "ere face+to+face 4A256, follo"ed )y
phone calls 4%.56 and internet 4%A56' ?ost respondents 4A256 sociali7ed through all three
media, and #25 through face+to+face and phone only'
The survey portion of their study sho"ed that 3%5 of *nternet interactions "ere conducted
through email, and #35 through *nstant ?essage 4multiple choices "ere allo"ed6' Of the
average of 0E people each respondent communicated "ithin local and distant social circles, #E
"ere through the *nternet alone' 8or local contacts, face+to+face "as the most fre/uently reported
4E056, follo"ed )y phone 42356, the *nternet 40156, and postal mail 4A56' 8or distant contacts,
the order "as phone 41$56, *nternet 42356, face+to+face 42#56, and postal mail 4%256'
15
9hile most contact "ith others tends to )e face+to+face, the availa)ility and capa)ility of the
*nternet allo"s individuals to maintain strong tie relationships "ithout having to "orry a)out
physical proFimity' 9hile ne"ly formed relationships online have )een found to )e "ea, in
nature 4-ampton and 9ellman, #$$%6, these relationships may not )e as important to students'
:elating *nternet usage to "ell+)eing, :eis, Sheldon, >a)le, :oscoe, and :yan, sited )y Cotton
and Bo"man, 4#$$26 said that, it is the closeness students feel to"ards individuals in their
communitiesCnet"or,s that are associated "ith increased "ell+)eing' They also reported that a
higher level of daily "ell+)eing has )een reported in young adults "ho felt close and connected
to others'

-ampton and 9ellman 4#$$%6 discovered that "hen they eFamined recently relocated "ired
versus non+"ired individuals 4*nternet users versus nonusers6, they found that A.5 of *nternet
users reported their social contact "ith others either increased or stayed the same as compared to
only 215 of non+users' on+"ired users, on average, reported a drop in their social contact since
moving to their ne" neigh)orhood'
9hen eFamining if having access to the *nternet increases contact "ith distant mem)ers of oneBs
social net"or,, individuals "ith *nternet access reported greater contact "ith individuals that live
1$$ ,ilometer or more from them 4-ampton and 9ellman, #$$%6'
-aving the *nternet gave individuals an alternative "ay to communicate "ith distant family and
friends "hen traditional 4i'e', telephone and face+to+face6 methods "ere unavaila)le' 9hen
16
individuals communicate "ith familyCfriends, social groups, etc' they feel closer and more
connected' This connection impacts their outloo, on life positively, increases their self+esteem,
and increases their mental health 4?cIenna and Bargh, #$$$6'
Gillacorta 4#$$16 in a research relating *nternet usage to seFual )ehavior titled ;*nternet Use,
Cy)erseF (nd :is,@ ( Oualitative Study (mong ?ale Teenagers 8rom Lo"+*ncome (reas *n
Lima, !eru,< reached a conclusion that@
4%6 *nternet is a po"erful technological tool to eFpand entertainment practices, including
Cy)erseF
4#6 *nternet use also allo"s users to see,, find and practice ne" "ays of seFual interaction
406 SeFual -ealth !rograms should use the *nternet to inform young people
426 *t is important to "or, "ith internet cafes o"ners
416 ?ore studies should )e conducted to further understand such practices and promote pu)lic
policies regarding *nternet use for seFual purposes among teenagers and young people that
respect their seFual rights and autonomy'
(de)ayo, Udeg)e & Sunmola 4#$$A6, in a similar study to GillacortaBs entitled ;>ender, *nternet
Use, (nd SeFual Behavior Orientation (mong Moung igerians< discovered that, consistent
"ith the hypothesi7ed patterns of relationship, male respondents reported a greater eFtent of
seFual )ehavior than female respondents'
(ccording to the study, those "ho "ere relatively younger and single also reported a lesser
eFtent of seFual )ehavior than their older, married, and separated or divorced counterparts'
17
8inally, there "as a corresponding relationship )et"een *nternet use and seFual )ehavior=
increased *nternet eFposure "as associated "ith the reported eFtent of seFual )ehavior'
:eferring to Bee)e, T'H', (scha, S'D', -arrison, !'(', et al ho"ever, (de)ayo et al 4#$$A6 agreed
that there are potential )enefits associated "ith the use of the *nternet for educational, shopping,
and )an,ing transactions, medical intervention= and communication in the form of e+mail, instant
messaging, and chatting'
They further posit ho"ever that, "hile the *nternet provides a "ealth of positive information,
there has )een increased a"areness of its potential dangers, especially to young people'
(ccording to them, the *nternet is increasingly )ecoming a monster in the conteFt of seF' Moung
adults have unlimited access to information on seF through porn spam on their e+mail or )y
inadvertently clic,ing on a lin, to a porn site'
9ith regard to *nternet access, Ollivier et al 4#$$26 carried out a study "ith the title ;*nternet
(ccess and Use among -igh School Students in Bar)ados<, and their preliminary results
suggested that the intensity, autonomy, and diversity of *nternet uses are directly related to other
dimensions of ine/uality, especially to school prestige'
They reported that students in the high prestige school are more li,ely to have a computer and
*nternet access at home= they are more li,ely to have their o"n e+mail account= they spend more
time online= they are more li,ely to use e+mail to communicate "ith family and friends= and they
are more li,ely to prefer using )oth )oo,s and the *nternet in their school"or,'
18
9hile this "or, is not going to )e considering the anomaly that may eFist "ith regard to *nternet
access among the students in pu)lic secondary school in Lagos state and those in private ones
4since it is not a comparison of usage6, it is ho"ever in the researcherBs vie" that the result of the
study carried out )y Ollivier and her colleagues "ill still )e valid in this conteFt 4su)ject to more
studies6'
("oleye, Siyan)ola

and Oladipo 4#$$.6 in their "or, pu)lished in the Hournal of Technology
?anagement and *nnovation a)out the level of penetration of *nternet usage among
undergraduate students in igeria using O)afemi ("olo"o University, reported that

a)out 3#5
of undergraduate students have em)raced the *nternet and are using it consistently'
They further said that online mean time is 0'1hrsC"ee, "hile on the average, undergraduate
eFperience of *nternet usage is a)out 2years' Their "or, also confirm that the students use the
*nternet mostly for e+mail, information search and online chatting= and these "ere found to have
significant impact on their academics and social life'
8urther analysis revealed that gender attitude is also an important issue= according to the "or, of
the researchers male students appear to use the *nternet more than their female counterparts= just
as science )ased students use it more than the non+science )ased students'
( study of overnight )ro"sing among *nternet users in ()ra,a, igeria carried out )y (domi
4#$$26 revealed that a majority of the users 41356 "ere males, the age range of #%+#1 ran,ed
first 41$56 as users of the service "ith students as the major users'
19
*t "as also discovered that A$'E5 of the respondents use the overnight internet service to ena)le
them to have enough time to eFplore the services and resources of the et= computersC*nternet
response ran,ed first as a factor "hich determine the cy)ercafL used for the service, A.'.5 of the
users see, information to supplement their course "or, during the overnight service )ut sleep is
a constraint faced )y most of the clients follo"ed )y ina)ility to open some sitesC"e) pages'
*n a similar "or, )y Longe and Chieme,e, 4#$$.6 "hich has the title ;Cy)er Crime and
Criminality in igeria N 9hat :oles are *nternet (ccess !oints !layingK<, their statistical
analysis of data using the Smith Statistical !ac,age 4SS!6 sho"ed that spamming activities
remain prevalent among igerian *nternet users' Their findings also revealed that Cy)er cafLs,
more than any other *nternet access points, have facilitated most cy)er crimes'
*n a separate "or, "hich presents a study that eFamines "hat igerian youths use *nternet for
and "hich of the *nternet use has adverse effect on the youthBs social life, conducted )y *do"u,
*do"u and (dagunodo 4#$$16, the result sho"s that majority of youths use *nternet for e+mail,
ma,ing use of Mahoo follo"ed )y -otmail, and the study also reveals that over 1$5 of youths
intervie"ed visit pornographic sites'
"/EO#E"I$AL (#AME%O#)
Uses and gratification theory
P9hat do the media do to the individualKB N P9hat does the individual do "ith the mediaKB
(ccording to "idespread adage, the t"o /uestions give us in a nutshell the difference )et"een
t"o )road research traditions "hich for a long time dominated research on the mediaCindividual
neFus' 4?cOuail et al, #$$1@ 116'
20
Uses and gratifications approach is an influential tradition in media research' The original
conception of the approach "as )ased on the research for eFplaining the great appeal of certain
media contents' The core /uestion of such research is@ 9hy do people use media and "hat do
they use them forK 4?cOuail, %3.06'
Uses and gratifications contend that people use mass media )ecause it satisfies psychological and
social needs for information' This seems rather self+evident, )ut the theory, "hich gained
momentum in the %3A$s and %3E$s, shifted attention a"ay from the /uestion of ;"hat do media
do to the peopleK< to the /uestion of ;"hat do people do "ith mediaK< 4Demers, #$$A@ 1%%6'
!eople are seen as active in selecting and consuming mass media' They use media to satisfy 4or
gratify6 their needs for information and entertainment 4i)id6'
Uses and gratifications approach also postulates that the media compete "ith other information
sources for audienceBs need satisfaction 4Iat7 et al', %3E26'
(s traditional mass media and ne" media continue to provide people "ith a "ide range of media
platforms and content, it is considered one of the most appropriate perspectives for investigating
"hy audiences choose to )e eFposed to different media channels 4La:ose et al', #$$%6'
The approach emphasi7es audiencesB choice )y assessing their reasons for using a certain media
to the disregard of others, as "ell as the various gratifications o)tained from the media, )ased on
individual social and psychological re/uirements 4Severin & Tan,ard, %33E6'
21
(s a )roader perspective among communication researchers, it provides a frame"or, for
understanding the processes )y "hich media participants see, information or content selectively,
commensurate "ith their needs and interests 4Iat7 et al', %3E26'
Lo"ery & De8leur, 4%3.06 then sustain the claim )y Iat7 et al 4%3E26 )y agreeing that audience
mem)ers then incorporate the content to fulfill their needs or to satisfy their interests'
The theory is therefore appropriate in eFplaining the use of *nternet as a media, in that,
considering the diverse nature of the *nternet, "hich comprises the electronic mail, instant
message machines, online shopping, television on personal computer sometimes referred to as
"e)casting, the 9orld 9ide 9e), the users "ill only ma,e a choice of "hich to use depending
on the gratification that is envisaged'
8rom the various empirical studies availa)le, *nternet usage among different age groups has )een
lin,ed "ith the gratifications re/uired )y the users' Some of these gratifications include
connecting "ith friends and families in distant land in case of people "ho have relatives living
far a"ay from them, communicating "ith people of common *nterest and finding solutions to
school "or, among others' Dlectronic mails, instant message and search machines are common
*nternet tools used in this regard'
( recent and most common of such platforms on the *nternet "here people can converge "ith
long distance friends and share their day to day activities is the recently introduced
8(CDBOOI' 8ace)oo, is a social platform on the *nternet that gives people the opportunity to
communicate their day to day activities "ith friends and family' *t allo"s a day to day recording
22
of the things an individual did during the day and also allo" the posting of notes, pictures and
video )y individuals'
Using the Uses and gratification approach, it can )e said that a num)er of people no" chose to
use face)oo, )ecause of the gratifications desired 4)eing a)le to communicate "ith friends and
family "ith pictures and also data in different other formats including videos6' The num)er of
people on the social platform is increasing )y the day 4more research is re/uired in this area6 and
this largely may )e due to the opportunity the platform offers the users to )e a)le to
communicate "ith friends in a serene and comforta)le environment 4su)ject to further studies6'
The a)ove assertion correlates "ith the one made )y Linsen and Ienneth 4#$$.6 in their paper
titled, ;DFamining use of the *nternet and traditional media in Chinese college students<' They
posit that people select media and media contents according to ho" "ell they can meet their
specific needs and goals )ecause each medium serves audience in different manners and "ithin
different conteFt'
e"hagen and :afaeli, in Linsen and Ienneth 4#$$.6 "as said to have suggested that the uses
and gratifications theory may )e typically useful in analy7ing *nternet use' The uses and
gratifications theory provides a suita)le tool to discover "hat goes on in the cy)erspace' *t offers
relevant perspectives to eFplain the psychological and )ehavioral dimensions of mediated
communication 4:uggiero, in Linsen & Ienneth, #$$.6'
:uggiero cited in Linsen & Ienneth 4#$$.6 also pointed out that uses and gratifications has
al"ays provided a po"erful theoretical approach in the introduction of each medium@ ne"spaper,
23
radio and television, and the *nternet' The author suggested eFpansion of the theoretical model to
the analysis of *nternet use, such as interactivity, demassification 4individual control over
media6, hyperteFtuality 4the core of *nternet documents, created )y the simple hyperteFt mar,up
language 4-T?L66, and asynchroneity 4stagger of messages in time6'
(ccording to Linsen & Ienneth 4#$$.6, one of the first attempts to loo, at the *nternet from the
uses and gratifications perspective "as provided )y :afaeli 4%3.A6 that sought to esta)lish the
needs satisfied )y electronic )ulletin )oards' The *nternet offers a great range of functions
including interactivity, irrelevance of time and space, lo" set+up cost, targeting precision, glo)al
coverage, and ease of entry 4Berthon, !itt, & 9atson, in Linsen & Ienneth, #$$.6'
(mong them, interactivity is the most uni/ue characteristic 4?orris & Ogan= :afaeli &
Sud"ee,s, in Linsen & Ienneth, #$$.6' *nteractivity changes the relationship )et"een
communicators and recipients, offering e/uality to the process of online communication' Thus, it
is a t"o+"ay communication, compared to the one+"ay communication typically evident in
traditional media practice 4Linsen & Ienneth, #$$.6'
(ccording to the uses and gratifications theory, people use different media for different
purposes' One can only eFpect su)stitution effect of one medium over another "hen they offer
audience similar gratifications' The *nternet is primarily vie"ed as a diversionary medium, so it
is not the su)stitute of traditional media such as ne"spaper and television 4(lthaus &
Te",s)ury, #$$$6'
24
)noledge 0a& "heory
The ,no"ledge gap theory "as first proposed )y Tichenor, Donohue and Olien at the University
of ?innesota in the E$s' They )elieve that the increase of information in society is not evenly
ac/uired )y every mem)er of society@ people "ith higher socioeconomic status tend to have
)etter a)ility to ac/uire information 49eng, #$$$6'
(ccording to Tichenor et al, affluent or highly educated people gain ,no"ledge faster than less
affluent or highly educated people do )ecause they@ %6 -ave )etter communication s,ills4e'g',
can read more /uic,ly6' #6 -ave more ;stored ,no"ledge< that ena)les them to understand ne"
information more /uic,ly' 06 -ave more contact "ith other people "ho are highly
,no"ledgea)le and 26 -ave more interest in consuming pu)lic affairs ,no"ledge' The
researchers also point out that 16 ?ass media organi7ations target more highly educated and
affluent people )ecause they have more disposa)le income, "hich is attractive to advertisers
4Demers, #$$A@ 1136'
*n this study, it is in the researcherBs vie" that ,no"ledge gap can also occur )et"een the
;classified rich< and the average people' Using this theory to eFplain access to the *nternet
therefore, it can )e said that "hile access to *nternet among the rich may not )e a thing of
pro)lem, the average person in a country li,e igeria may have some challenges "ith regard to
*nternet access'
Considering !u)lic and !rivate secondary schools in Lagos state for eFample, it is more li,ely
4su)ject to more studies6 that a num)er of the privately o"ned secondary schools have *nternet
connection "ithin the school premises "hile some others may even have it in each of their class
25
rooms' ?ajority of the pu)lic schools ho"ever do not have these resources and this sort of create
,no"ledge gap )et"een the products of these private schools and their pu)lic counterparts'
(lso the parents "ho do not have the money to send their children to private schools are not
li,ely to have money for *nternet connection at home, thus the students if need )e that they use
the *nternet must loo, for an alternative "hich could )e a cy)er cafL'
!arents "ho send their children to private schools are ho"ever more li,ely to )e a)le to afford
*nternet connection at home unli,e those "ho donBt, therefore creating a gap in information
accessing rate of these children'
(ccording to Demers 4#$$A@ 1136, the ,no"ledge gap hypothesis can )e applied to individuals,
groups or to nations' -e "ent further to state that from a "orld"ide perspective, the argument is
that the ;information rich< countries 4e'g', 8rance, >reat Britain, Hapan, United States6 are
gaining more po"er and influence over the ;information poor< countries 4e'g', (frican and Latin
(merican countries6'
8rom the literature revie", it is clear that *nternet usage assume different forms among youths
and students in general' -o"ever, it should )e noted that the use to "hich each individual put the
*nternet is a function of the re/uired gratifications' evertheless similar traces are o)served "hen
it comes to *nternet usage among youths' (n eFample of such is the study that "as conducted )y
(de)ayo et al 4#$$A6 in igeria "hich )ears resem)lance "ith that conducted )y Gillacorta
4#$$16 far a"ay in Lima !eru'
26
#esearch Methodology
Po&ulation of the Study
(ccording to BaFter and Ba))ie 4#$$2@%036, a population is the theoretically specified
aggregation of study elements' The authors ho"ever defined study population as the aggregation
of elements from "hich the sample is actually selected' The duo further said that as a practical
matter, one is seldom in a position to guarantee that every element meeting the theoretical
definitions laid do"n actually has a chance of )eing selected in the sample'
The population upon "hich this "or, is )ased therefore is the Senior Secondary School Students
in pu)lic Schools in Lagos State'
Sam&le Si1e
(s mentioned earlier, the scope of this "or, covers the entire Senior Secondary School Students
in pu)lic Schools in Lagos State' -o"ever, considering the resources re/uired in carrying out
this research in the #$ federal+government approved local government areas in the state, the
survey for the research "as therefore restricted to three selected local government areas "ithin
the state' The local governments selected include= *,osi local government, *,eja local
government and Ma)a local government' Data "as collected from just a school in each local
government area' The Schools include *,osi Senior -igh School in *,osi local government,
Oregun Senior -igh School in *,eja local government and Dletu Odi)o Senior Secondary School
in Ma)a local government'
27
Sam&ling "echni2ue
To get "hich of the local government areas the sample "as to )e ta,en from, a random sampling
method "as used and the resulting local government areas "ere *,osi local >overnment, *,eja
Local government and Ma)a local government areas' These three Local governments "ere
arrived at )y "riting each of the names of the #$ local government areas on paper and selecting
the three randomly' The selection of the 0 out of #$ "as "ithout replacement so that one local
government does not have a chance of )eing selected t"ice' The process of selecting the first
"as % out of #$, the second "as % out of %3 and the third % out of %.'
-aving selected the three local governments randomly, the process of selecting the three Schools
from each of the local government "as ho"ever )ased on convenience and accessi)ility' The
reason "as )ecause at the time data "as )eing collected for the research, most of the Schools
"ere "riting their third term eFams and have little time to spare for Students to fill in
/uestionnaires'
Instrument for data collection
Ouestionnaire "as the research instrument used to carry out this "or, on the chosen Schools'
Dighteen set of structured /uestions "ere compiled in a /uestionnaire, "hich "as administered to
%1$ students in 0 different schools from each of the chosen local governments in the State' The
total num)er of copies of /uestionnaires distri)uted per school "as 1$' The 1$ copies of
/uestionnaires for each school "ere distri)uted )et"een the science, commercial and arts
Students from Senior Secondary School one through t"o "hich ensures that academic indicators
are covered' The Senior Secondary School three "ere not involved in this "or, )ecause as at the
point of distri)uting the /uestionnaires, they had completed their final eFams and "ere no longer
in School' The three Schools used are miFed Schools having )oys and girls and this also
28
guarantee coverage of all relevant demographic' Out of the total %1$ copies of /uestionnaires
distri)uted, the num)er filled and retrieved "ere %23 "hich is a)out 33'05 response rate'
-alidity and #eliability of the Instrument
The instrument adopted in this "or,= "hich is the /uestionnaire "as face validated,
corresponding majorly "ith the research /uestions' To determine the validity of the content of
the instrument, it "as presented alongside "ith the research /uestions to the research supervisor'
Based on her assessment and recommendations, the researcher made modifications to enhance
the validity of the instrument' :elia)ility "as ensured )y presenting the instrument to
respondents "ho did not participate in the research through test and re+test method'
Procedure for 3ata Analysis
-aving collected the data, it "as then analy7ed )ased on the information provided )y the
respondents' To analy7e the data, simple mathematic approach "as used )y tallying the
responses per /uestion in order to determine the dominant vie"s and those "ith lesser responses
"ere also noted as "ell' *t "as this result that "as employed in interpreting the action of the
student "ith regard to internet usage' The result of this "as then displayed in ta)les "ith
corresponding pie charts to give a visual description of the outcome of the research'
(fter displaying the result in ta)les and charts therefore, the researcher then proceeded to discuss
the findings of the research as it relate to "hat other authors "ho have done similar "or,s have
)een a)le to o)serve'
29
3ata Analysis and Inter&retation
Introduction
*n this chapter, the analysis of the responses )y the respondents is given a thorough
interpretation'
*t should )e noted again that this "or, is meant to find ans"ers to the follo"ing@
%' The level of a"areness of *nternet as an educational tool among Senior Secondary School
Students in pu)lic Schools in Lagos State'
#' :ate of *nternet usage among Senior Secondary School Students in pu)lic Schools in
Lagos State'
0' The purpose for "hich the *nternet is used among Senior Secondary School Students in
pu)lic Schools in Lagos State'
2' -o" readily afforda)le is the *nternet to Senior Secondary School Students in pu)lic
Schools in Lagos State'
The analysis of the responses got therefore, "ill )e )ased on the a)ove stated research /uestions'
*t is eFpedient to state that a total num)er of %1$ copies of /uestionnaires "ere distri)uted and
monitored for proper completion and su)mission' -o"ever, the researcher "as a)le to retrieve a
total of %23 completed copies of the /uestionnaires' The follo"ing analysis is therefore )ased on
these completed and returned copies 4%236'
30
Table 1 (a) Age group
Age 0rou& Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
56 7 58 85 9:
5; 7 5< <= ;8
6> 7 above 5 5
"otal 5:< 5>>
8rom ta)le %4a6 a)ove, among the total of %23 respondents, 1% of them "hich is e/uivalent to
025 of the total population of the study are )et"een the ages of %# and %1' (lso, 3E of the
respondents "hich are e/uivalent to A15 of the total population are )et"een the ages of %A and
%3' Only %5 of the population is )et"een the ages of #$ and a)ove' (pplying simple
mathematical principle ma,es the average age of the respondents %Ayears'
(igure 5*a,
Table 1(b) Gender
0ender Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
31
Male ;? :;
(emale ?5 8:
"otal 5:< 5>>
Ta)le %4)6 sho"s that out of the total respondents, A. of them "hich are 2$5 of total are male
"hile .% of them e/uivalent to 125 of the total are females'
(igure 5*b,
Table 1(c) Class
$lass Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
SS 5 ;8 ::
SS6 ?: 8;
32
SS9 Nil Nil
"otal 5:< 5>>
(s at the time of collecting data for this "or,, the Senior Secondary School three 4SS06 students
"ere already through "ith their final eFams' The responses analy7ed therefore are )ased on those
of students in Senior Secondary School one 4SS%6, Senior Secondary School t"o 4SS#6'
8rom ta)le %4c6 a)ove, A1 of the respondents "hich e/ual 225 of the total respondents are in
SS% "hile the remaining .2 "hich is e/uivalent to 1A5 are students in SS#'
(igure 5*c,
Table 1(d) Specialization
S&eciali1ation Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
Science 8; 9?
$ommercial ?= 8?
Art ; :
"otal 5:< 5>>
33
*n terms of speciali7ation, 1A respondents of the total %23 e/uivalent to 0.5 are Science
oriented, .E "hich is a)out 1.5 are Commercial "hile A of them e/uivalent to 25 are (rt
oriented'
(igure 5*d,
The remaining /uestions "ere analy7ed )ased on the research /uestions as follo"=
#esearch 2uestion one@
How well do Secondary School Students in public Schools in Lagos State understand the Internet
as an educational tool?
Table 2(a): Distri)ution of respondents )ased on their a"areness of computers'
Ouestion@ -ave you seen a computer )eforeK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
34
.es 5:= <<
No 6 5
"otal 5:< 5>>

8rom the ta)le a)ove, 335 of the respondents have seen Computer )efore "hile only %5
responded in the negative'
(igure 6*a,
"able 6*b6@ This ta)le is )ased on the distri)ution of respondent "ith regard to their a)ility to
operate a computer'
Ouestion@ Can you operate a ComputerK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
.es <5 ;5
No 8? 9<
"otal 5:< 5>>
This distri)ution sho"s that out of the total of %2E respondents "ho said they have seen
Computer )efore in ta)le #4a6, 3% of them e/uivalent to A%5 of the total population 4%236 can
35
actually operate it' 1. 4035 of the total 6 of the respondents "hich consist of the remaining 1A
"ho said they have seen the Computer )efore and the # "ho said they have not seen the device
)efore indicated that they cannot use the Computer' This result is significant in that the 035 that
cannot use the Computer "ill have no )asis to even tal, a)out the *nternet' *f 035 of Students in
!u)lic Senior Secondary Schools in Lagos are una)le to operate a computer in their last three
years of Secondary education, then something urgent must )e done' This is )ecause, lately,
activities li,e registration of various eFams li,e 9(DC, DCO and H(?B are no" carried out
on the *nternet'
(igure 6*b,
"able 6*c,@ This ta)le is )ased on the distri)ution of the respondents )ased on their a"areness of
the *nternet'
Ouestion@ -ave you heard a)out the *nternetK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
.es 5:> <:
No < ;
"otal 5:< 5>>
36
*t is evident from the ta)le #4c6 a)ove that out of %2E "ho are a"are of the Computer, %2$ of
them are also a"are of the *nternet' 8rom the ta)le therefore, 325 of the respondents are a"are
of the *nternet "hile just A5 of them are not a"are of it'
(igure 6*c,
Table 2(d): This ta)le is )ased on the distri)ution of the respondents )ased on the a)ility to use
the *nternet'
Ouestion@ -ave you used the *nternet )eforeK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
.es ?9 8;
No ;; ::
"otal 5:< 5>>
8rom ta)le #4d6 1A5 of the respondents responded they have used the *nternet )efore "hile 225
confirm they have not'
37
The Chart )elo" is a graphical description of the a)ove result'
(igure 6*d,
#esearch 'uestion 6@
How oten do Secondary School students in public Schools in Lagos State !a"e use o the
Internet?
Table 3(a): The ta)le is the distri)ution of the respondents )ased on their fre/uency of *nternet
usage'
Ouestion@ -o" often do you use the *nternetK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
Once a eeA :> :<
"ice a eeA 56 58
"hree times a eeA ; =
More than three times a eeA 55 59
38
Once a month = ?
Once in about three months = ?
"otal ?9 5>>
8rom the a)ove ta)le, 235 of the .0 respondents "ho confirmed they use the *nternet use it once
a "ee,, %15 use it t"ice a "ee,, E5 use it three times a "ee,' (lso, %05 ma,e use of the
technology for more than three times a "ee,, .5 use it once a month "hile another .5 said they
use it once in a)out three months' The pie Chart )elo" sho"s this result in a more graphical
format
(igure 9 *a,
Table 3(b): This ta)le is )ased on the hours spent per )ro"sing )y the respondents'
Ouestion@ -o" many hours do you spend per )ro"singK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
39
9>minutes 68 96
5hour 9< :<
6hours 5> 59
9hours and above 8 ;
"otal =< 5>>
The total respondents for this /uestion "ere E3 out of the .0 "ho affirmed that they ma,e use of
the *nternet' 0#5 of them )ro"se the net for 0$minutes per )ro"sing, 235 spend an hour, %05
recorded #hours "hile only A5 spend 0hours and a)ove at a single )ro"sing session'
(igure 9 *b,
Table 3(c): This ta)le is to determine the num)er of respondents "ho )ro"se overnight'
Ouestion@ Do you )ro"se overnightK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
.es 58 5<
No ;9 ?5
"otal =? 5>>
40
( total of E. of the respondents ans"ered to this /uestion out of "hich %35 of them said they
)ro"se the *nternet overnight "hile .%5 said they do not'
(igure 9 *c,
Table 3(d): This ta)le sho"s "here the respondents "ho )ro"se overnight do it'
Ouestion@ *f you do )ro"se overnight, "hereK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
At home 56 ?>
$ybercafB 9 6>
At a friendCs &lace Nil Nil
"otal 58 5>>
8rom ta)le 04d6 a)ove, .$5 of the respondents "ho )ro"se overnight do it at home "hile #$5
said they do it at the cy)ercafL'
41
(igure 9 *d,
Table 3(e): This ta)le sho"s the num)er of times in a month those "ho said they )ro"se
overnight do it'
Ouestion@ -o" many times in a month do you )ro"se overnightK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
One 9 6>
"o = :=
"hree and above 8 99
"otal 58 5>>
(mong the %1 respondents "ho affirm they )ro"se overnight, #$5 said they do it once a month,
2E5 t"o times a month "hile 005 indicated they do it for three times and a)ove in a month'
42
(igure 9 *e,
#esearch 'uestion 9@
#or what purpose do secondary school students in public schools in Lagos State !a"e use o the
Internet?
The follo"ing ta)les "ill provide ans"ers to this third research /uestions'
Table 4(a): This ta)le provides ans"er to "hat the respondents do on the *nternet'
Ouestion@ 9hat do you do on the *nternetK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
$hat ith friends 95 6<
-isit any ebsite 65 6>
(ind solution to School orAs 95 6<
-ie &ornogra&hy Nil Nil
#ead nes about events in
other &arts of the orld
55 5>
$hecA my e+mail boD 55 5>
43
Others 5 5
"otal 5>; 5>>
*t should )e noted that eight 4.6 of the total num)er "ho uses the *nternet 4.06 actually chose
more than % options in the a)ove /uestion' 8rom the ta)le, #35 chat "ith friends, #$5 said they
visit any "e)site, another #35 said they use the *nternet in search of solution to school "or,s'
(nother %$5 said they ma,e use of the *nternet for reading ne"s a)out events in other parts of
the "orld and %$5 of the respondents said they use it to chec, their e+mail )oF' %5 of the total
respondents ho"ever use the *nternet for other activities'
Considering major reports )y a num)er of researchers on the seFual activities carried out on the
*nternet )y young people, it is ho"ever surprising that none of the respondents agree to using the
*nternet for pornographic vie"ing'
(igure : *a,
44
Table 4(b): This ta)le sho"s the num)er of "e)sites respondents visited per )ro"sing'
Ouestion@ (veragely, ho" many "e)sites do you visit per )ro"singK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
5+8 8; =:
;+5> 55 5:
5> and above < 56
"otal =; 5>>
Out of the total .0 "ho uses the *nternet, only EA of them specify the num)er of "e)sites they
visit per )ro"sing' The remaining seven 4E6 do not specify' 8rom the a)ove ta)le therefore, E25
of the respondents said they visit )et"een one and five "e)sites per )ro"sing, %25 visit )et"een
siF and ten "hile the remaining %#5 visit )et"een ten "e)sites and a)ove'
(igure : *b,
Table 4(c): This Ta)le sho"s the change respondents have noticed in their lives as a result of
using the *nternet'
Ouestion@ 9hat change have you noticed in your life since you have )een using the *nternetK
45
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
It has enhanced my
&erformance in school
9; ::
Much of my time is s&ent in
visiting irrelevant sites
6 6
!ecause of some sites I visit
often, I am easily arouse
seDually
9 :
I have discovered some
academic sites that can
enhance my studies
:5 8>
"otal ?6 5>>
8rom the ta)le a)ove, 225 of the respondents indicated that using the *nternet has enhanced their
performance in School, #5 said much of their time on the *nternet is spent visiting irrelevant
sites' (lso, 1$5 said they have discovered some academic sites that can enhance their studies
"hile 25 said they are usually arouse seFually )ecause of some sites they often visited' This is
ho"ever surprising as there are no respondents "ho said they vie" pornography online'
(igure : *c,
46
#esearch 'uestion :@
How aordable is the Internet ser$ice to the Senior Secondary School Students in %ublic Schools
in Lagos state?
Table (5): This ta)le indicates financial constraint encounter )y respondents "ith regard to
*nternet access'
Ouestion@ -ave there )een times you needed to use the *nternet for School "or, and you donBt
have money to go to the cafLK
O&tions Number of #es&onse Percentage *4,
.es 8; ;5
No 9; 9<
"otal <6 5>>
A%5 of the respondents agreed that money is a )arrier to using the *nternet and 035 of them said
money is no )arrier'
(igure 8
47
-o"ever, it is "orth noting that all the three Schools "here the data "ere collected do not have
*nternet connection'

3iscussion of (indings
This "or, evaluates *nternet usage among Senior Secondary School Students in pu)lic Schools
in Lagos State' 8rom the result, Computer a"areness "as very high at 335' -o"ever, of the
335 "ho claimed they are a"are of the Computer, only A%5 can operate it' 8urthermore,
*nternet a"areness is at 325 out of "hich only 1A5 can indeed use it' The remaining 225 have
not used the *nternet )efore'
This result is in contrast "ith "hat is o)taina)le in the developed part of the "orld' The average
age of these students is put at %A years' (t %A, most students in developed "orld are already
versatile "ith the Computer as "ell as the *nternet' This assertion "as corro)orated )y the
findings of ?iller 4#$$%6, "ho confirmed that almost %$$5 of the US College Class of #$$% "as
connected to the *nternet'
One main theory used in the course of this "or, that "ill )e relevant in eFplaining this finding is
the Ino"ledge >ap theory' *t is more li,ely for eFample that Children of the rich "ho are a)le to
attend private primary schools right from their primary education level "ould have started using
the computer even )efore they enroll in Secondary Schools'
48
Specifically, in this technological age, it "ill )e difficult to compare College Students in igeria
"ith their counterparts in the developed economy such as the US in terms of access to ena)led
technologies such as the *nternet' This sho"s that, as far as ,no"ledge ac/uisition is concerned,
Children in the developed 9orld are more at an advantage to their mates in a Country li,e
igeria N hence the Ino"ledge gap'
(nother "or, that shed more light on the notion that access to the *nternet favors majorly those
"ho have the means "as the research conducted )y ?ichille Ollivier and (nn Denis 4#$$26'
They carried out a study "ith the title ;*nternet (ccess and Use among -igh School Students in
Bar)ados<, and their preliminary results suggested that the intensity, autonomy, and diversity of
*nternet uses are directly related to other dimensions of ine/uality, especially to school prestige'
They reported that Students in the high prestige Schools are more li,ely to have a computer and
*nternet access at home= they are more li,ely to have their o"n e+mail account= they spend more
time online= they are more li,ely to use e+mail to communicate "ith family and friends= and they
are more li,ely to prefer using )oth )oo,s and the *nternet in their school"or,'
8rom the findings of this "or, also, the respondents used the *nternet majorly for activities such
as chatting, e+mail and )ro"sing other "e)sites' This reflect the "or, of ?organ and Cotton
4#$$06 "ho reported in their study that e+mail, Chat room and instant messaging "as the chief
function students perform online'
*n line "ith Uses and gratification theory, it can )e said that College Students derive more
gratification )y using the *nternet for chatting, e+mailing and then visiting various "e)sites'
Unli,e the gratification that may )e sought )y adults that could include e+commerce, online
)an,ing, dating and similar others, the a)ove functions seem to )e the primary gratification these
Students sought from the *nternet as a medium of communication'
49
This findings sho" as "ell that out of the respondents "ho claimed they use the *nternet, 225
agreed that it has enhanced their performance in School "hile the response of 1$5 of them "as
that the *nternet has ena)led them discovered some academic sites that can enhance their studies'
On access to *nternet, A%5 of respondents claimed that money is the major o)stacle to accessing
the *nternet as all the three Schools in "hich the "or, "as carried out are not having *nternet
facility'
The overall findings ho"ever sho"s that *nternet access and usage is very lo" among Senior
Secondary School Students in !u)lic Schools in Lagos State and this can )e said to )e largely
due to the fact that the facilities are not made availa)le to the Students' *t is a matter of fact that a
num)er of these students "ill pro)a)ly finish Secondary School "ithout having the a)ility to at
least move a mouse' This is )ecause= a good num)er of them cannot even operate a computer let
alone ,no"ing much a)out the device as to no" use it to )ro"se the *nternet'
50
Summary, $onclusion and #ecommendations
Summary
This study sho"s the level of *nternet penetration among Senior Secondary School Students in
!u)lic Schools in Lagos State' *t Sho"s that a num)er of the Students are a"are of the *nternet
as a medium of learning and then for carrying out other activities' *t also reveals to us the
percentage of the respondents "ho are a)le to operate the *nternet'
8rom the Study, the researcher "as a)le to decipher the Chief activities Students "ho agreed to
have started using the *nternet perform online' *n line "ith similar "or,s that have )een
conducted in the developed "orld, it "as discovered that the students Chat online, send e+mail,
and )ro"se various "e)sites and search for solution to School "or,' The time spent online
ranges from 0$minutes to 0hours per )ro"sing session'
8rom the first chapter of this "or,, the origin of the *nternet "as discussed eFtensively' This
traced the *nternet to the %31$s "hen the U'S' Department of Defense started researching "ays
to create a decentrali7ed communication system that "ould allo" researchers and government
officials to communicate "ith one another in the aftermath of a nuclear attac,' This led to the
formation of the (dvanced :esearch !rojects (gency 4(:!(6'
51
By %3A3, "e sa" from chapter one that (:!( had successfully interconnected four computers in
Stanford University, University of California Los (ngeles, University of California Santa
Bar)ara and University of Utah' 9e sa" also that this trend continued and )lossomed to )illions
of net"or, all over the "orld today'
Chapter one also made it ,no"n that the proliferation of *nternet "as not "ithout the coming into
the scene of ?osaic= the first 9orld 9ide 9e) )ro"ser in %330 and then the creation of the
"orldBs first search engine in %331' Data "as also presented in chapter one of the current 4#$$.6
9orld *nternet usage and population statistics'
*n Chapter t"o of this study, there "as a revie" of literatures relevant to the "or,' These include
similar "or,s that have )een carried out )y scholars in the field of communication as "ell as
social sciences that have to do "ith *nternet usage among students in colleges, University and
among teenagers in general'
( num)er of concepts "ere considered in this chapter "hich includes the electronic mail 4e+
mail6, the 9orld 9ide 9e)' The empirical revie" in chapter t"o )asically gave thorough
eFplanations on youths and *nternet usage' Under the theoretical frame"or, in this chapter, "e
considered t"o theories "hich include= Uses and gratification theory and the Ino"ledge gap
theory' These theories "ere used eFtensively to eFplain some of the results noticed in this "or,'
The third chapter provided the approach to "hich the process of data collection "as carried out'
The chapter introduced the population of the study, the sample si7e re/uired, sample techni/ue
and the instrument of data collection "hich is the /uestionnaire'
52
Chapter four "as "here the analysis of the "or, "as eFtensively carried out' This chapter puts
the result of the entire "or, in ta)ular form, sho"ing percentages "here necessary and "ith pie
charts that illustrates in a graphical form the results of the "or,'
$onclusion
The major conclusion of this "or, is that *nternet access among Students in pu)lic Schools in
Lagos State is still lo" compare to their counterparts in other parts of the 9orld' (part from
)eing a)le to access the *nternet, it is disheartening to note that some of the respondents cannot
even operate a computer despite the num)er of years spent in Secondary School'
*f at the last three years of Secondary education in this time and age, the students are not a)le to
operate a computer, ho" "ould they )e a)le to do some )asic things li,e registering an eFam li,e
the 9est (frican DFamination Council on the *nternetK *t is evident from this "or, that majority
of these students need to )e put through on the )enefit of using the *nternet to supplement "hat
they learn in their school "or,s'
#ecommendation
9ith the a)ove results, my recommendations "ill go first to the Lagos State government, !u)lic
School (dministrators, !arents and finally Students themselves'
Lagos State 0overnment
The responsi)ility of providing )asic e/uipment in the educational system is on the government
for the Schools under consideration 4pu)lic schools6' *t is o)vious that the Lagos State
government has )een ta,ing steps in terms of *nfrastructural development right from the
inception of the current administration'
53
-o"ever, for the students in these schools to )e a)le to measure up to the standard re/uired in
the fast changing technological "orld, )asic e/uipment li,e computers must )e provided in our
pu)lic schools' The government should consider having computer la)oratories just as "e have
Chemistry, !hysics and Biology la)oratories in all these schools' Though, not all these other la)s
are "ell e/uipped as "ell'
The "orld is fast emerging and "e must )e seen to )e a)le to meet up "ith the innovation in
order to )uild the igeria of the future "e all envisaged' *t is not out of place for the pu)lic
Schools in the state to have *nternet connection'
Public School Administrators
( popular saying goes Pout of sight is out of mindB' *t is high time pu)lic school administrators
)egan getting updates from ho" schools in the developed "orld are functioning and then )egin
to suggest or recommend steps the government can ta,e in meeting the technological challenge'
(nd peradventure the government ma,es the re/uired e/uipment availa)le, school administrators
are to ensure that the students are put through on the effective "ay they can )e used'
Parents
*t is suggested that for parents "ho can afford to have *nternet connection at home, it "ill )e a
good "ay to enhance the learning of their children' !arents are ho"ever advised to try as much
as it is "ithin their po"er to monitor "hat their children are eFposed to on the *nternet' *t is
evident that as much as there are )ad materials on the *nternet, there are also good ones'
Students
54
On the part of the students, to those "ho already have )een using the *nternet, it is eFpedient that
you only go online "hen you have a need to have things done' This "ill help overcome the urge
to just spend time on the *nternet unnecessarily in order to avoid visiting sites that are not
)eneficial'
To those "ho have never used the *nternet, there is need to )egin to ma,e out plans on ho" you
can learn ho" to use the *nternet' This is for the class under study= it is eFpedient senior
secondary students are familiar "ith intricacies of the technology as the s,ill "ill )e re/uired for
eFams such as 9(DC, H(?B and registration at the higher institutions'
Suggestions for (urther Study
8or further research, the scope of this "or, should )e made to include the comparison of *nternet
usage among students in pu)lic Schools and those in private Schools' The "or, should find out
at "hat age and class the students in private schools have started using Computer and the
*nternet'
The "or, can also consider the plans of the education authority in Lagos state or in any other
state of the federation the researcher might decide to choose "ith regard to integrating Computer
and *nternet technology into the pu)lic education structure'
55
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59