School of Journalism, Media and Communication

Permanent URI for this community

https://scholar.ucu.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12311/50

Browse

Browsing School of Journalism, Media and Communication by Author "Alice Ampumuza"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The role of social media in promoting social change in rural areas inUganda: a case study of Kinoni sub-county
    (Uganda Christian University, 2026-03-24) Alice Ampumuza
    This study explored the role of social media in catalyzing social change in rural communities, with particular emphasis on Kinoni Sub-county, Kiruhura District, Uganda. Social media have evolved as a crucial instrument for communication, information sharing, and civic engagement in modern times; however, its potential impact in rural areas remains unexplored. The goal of this research study was to determine the level of engagement with social media, its contribution to changing lives in health, education, and community development, challenges affecting rural users, and ways through which its effectiveness could be boosted. A descriptive case study design was adopted, involving 80 respondents comprised of ordinary residents, local leaders, social media activists, teachers, and health workers. Data collection was done through questionnaires, interviews with key informants, and nonparticipant observation. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while thematic analysis was used on qualitative data. WhatsApp and Facebook were the most used platforms, with 81% and 60%, respectively, especially among the youth and educated residents. Social media have enacted social change by promoting health awareness, increasing access to educational materials, or improving community development issues, such as mobilization at the community level, sharing agricultural information, and community governance. Some of the key challenges that affected the trends in social media usage were internet and smartphone costs, connectivity, lack of digital literacy, misinformation, and unawareness of the potential of social media. The study found that social media is an effective means for advancing social change in rural areas, although its maximum potential is quenched by infrastructural, economic, and knowledge factors. The recommendations included enhancing digital infrastructure, reducing data charges, and raising digital literacies alongside positive social media practice and production by young people in the community. These findings are useful and provide valuable insights for policymakers, development partners, and the education community, and also emphasize the need to capitalize on the "social media" tool for the improvement of awareness, participation, and rural development Keywords: Social media, Social change, Rural development, Digital literacy, Kinoni Sub-county, Uganda.