The Relationship Between Media Literacy and Ethical Usage of Social Media among the Youth in Ghana

Abstract

The surge in social media platforms has made everyone a creator of content on the online space for both the young and old. This follows the amazingly powerful tools that aid in the discovering, editing and sharing content without the checks and control mechanisms ascribed to the traditional media. Yet, alongside this development and opportunities in the technology has come a rise in inappropriate use of social media. This has become a major social and ethical concern. This paper examines the relationship between social media competence and the ethical usage of social media by the youth. Findings reveal that media literacy skills among the youth in Ghana is generally high but does not correspond to ethical social media use behaviour.