THE INTERNET AND ITS IMPACT ON MORAL DEVELOPMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The internet has since its inception contributed to the societal development of today’s society. Today, it has become indispensible to the day-to-day activities of millions of individuals and organizations. The internet offers information to practically every aspect of human life and this portend danger for the adolescents in today’s society. Scholars have highlighted the fragile mind adolescents have and the impact their environment and social media have on their behaviour, religion and educational performance. As such, the relationship between the internet and morality cannot be overlooked. This study therefore seeks to critically investigate the impact of the internet and moral development of secondary school students. Three objectives and research questions guided the study. The study employed a descriptive survey design and selected a sample population of 349 students in secondary schools in Rivers State using simple random sample method. Instrument for this research was a self-structured questionnaire titled Internet and its Impact on Moral Development of Secondary School Students in Rivers State Questionnaire (IIMDSSSQ). In answering the research questions and testing the hypothesis, mean and z-test were employed respectively. The findings from this research established that internet services have a negative correlation on moral and social development, sexual behaviour and pattern of dressing. The study amongst other recommendations highlighted that; State Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in the education sector should as a matter urgent importance introduce moral education as one of the compulsory subjects in secondary schools in Rivers State to enable the students to be guided on the use of internet services in today’s digital world where learning are more facilitated electronically.