Audience Perception of Social Media Role on Ethnic Stereotypes in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State

Abstract

This study examined the role of social media in the reinforcement of ethnic stereotypes among residents of Ojo Local Government Area, Lagos State, guided by five objectives covering the types of stereotypes in circulation, how residents interpret them, their influence on real-life attitudes and behaviour, the platforms most responsible, and the level of exposure. The study was anchored on Cultivation and Reinforcement theories, the study adopted a descriptive survey design. A sample of 400 residents, determined through the Taro Yamane (1967) formula and selected through stratified random sampling across the four Local Council Development Areas of Ojo, completed a structured questionnaire, and data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, and means. Both positive and negative ethnic stereotypes circulate on social media, but residents largely engaged with this content thoughtfully rather than accepting it at face value, and exposure influenced their offline relations with other ethnic groups to a moderate to low degree. Open, algorithm-driven platforms such as X (Twitter), Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram played a bigger role in reinforcing stereotypes than closed platforms like Telegram. Social media plays a measurable role in the circulation and reinforcement of ethnic stereotypes in Ojo. Residents should engage critically with ethnicity-related content, and stakeholders should invest in digital literacy efforts that discourage the careless sharing of stereotype-driven narratives.