EXPLORING SOCIAL MEDIA AND INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOURS OF NIGERIANS TOWARDS THE DEATH OF A MUSICIAN

Abstract

There is a paucity of social media research from the perspective of information seeking behaviours. This study explores social media and information seeking behaviours of Nigerians towards the death of a musician. The population of this study is 4 Nigerian celebrities and social media influencers who used their platforms to advocate for justice on the musician’s death. Case study design was adopted so that the researchers can have a deep understanding of information seeking behaviours of Nigerians on social media, particularly X and Instagram (likes and comments) towards musician’s death. Criterion sampling was used in selecting the posts relevant to this study’s objectives. Covert observation was used because the celebrities and influencers whose posts were sampled were not aware that the researchers were observing their posts and people’s interactions with them. Findings revealed that Nigerians reacted on social media, through likes and comments, to information on the musician’s death, candle light, causes of his death and the arrest of his alleged killers. Their reactions to information on the results of the autopsy were discouraging and it is believed that the reason for such is because the cause of his death was not ascertained. This study concludes that the social media was instrumental in reporting Mohbad’s death, paving the ways for many Nigerian celebrities and influencers to call on the Nigerian government at both the Federal and State levels to ensure proper investigations of the possible cause(s) of his death