دراسة استخدام شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي لدى طلبة التعليم الجامعي بمحافظة مسقط في سلطنة عمان وعلاقتها بقيم المواطنة ومدى انتشار التفكير اللاعقلاني لديهم

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the degree of using social media by higher education students in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, and its effect on the citizen’s values, and the extent of rational and irrational thinking spread among them. The researcher used descriptive analytical approach. The study sample consisted of (900) male and female students represent Sultan Qaboos University, Arab Open University, and the Modern University for Technology & Information. The researcher used the questionnaire method as the study tool. For data analysis, the researcher used the arithmetical averages, standard deviations, repetitions, percentages, (T-tests), Pearson coefficient, and multiple regression coefficient. The study revealed the following results: 94.4% of Omani undergraduate students use social media in a daily basis with an average of 6 hours/ per day, mobile phones are the most common device to used, and WhatsApp is the most common site used by them. The level of social media effect on citizen’s values from the student’s perceptive was high, as the average of effect reached 3,86. The results also showed that the spread of rational thinking was high, and that rational thinking among university students was low with an average of 1.45. The study also showed a positive correlation between the degree of using social media and the level of their effect on the citizen’s values, and the spread of rational and irrational thinking among university students. There were also statistically significant differences in the degree of using social media in favor of female students and government universities, as well as differences in the level of effect on citizen’s values in favor of females. There were also differences in the degree of rational thinking spread attributed to the university type and years of study. The results showed that the effect of independent study variables can be predicted on the dependent variable of (the level of citizenship values).