Influence of Social Media Platforms Usage on Food security in langata Sub-County, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Social media digital platform is a body of technologies that facilitate social interaction, make collaboration possible, and enable deliberation across stakeholders. The platforms have become vital integral part of peoples’ daily life, shaping the way they connect and communicate with each other. This study examined the effects of social media platforms’ usage on food security in Lang’ata Sub-County. Specifically, the study determined the level of usage of social media digital platforms on food security; assessed the households’ perception on utilizing social media digital platform to enhance food security; and examined the challenges and opportunities in utilizing social media digital platforms to enhance food security. The study was anchored on platform theory. The study used descriptive and correlation research designs to gather data. This enabled the utilization of mixed research methods combining both qualitative and quantitative studies. A total of 176,314 households were targeted. Karen and Nyayo High Rise wards were purposively sampled from the five wards. A representative sample size of 370 households were selected using Yamane1967formula. Data collected were cleaned up, entered and analyzed in SPSS version 2.0 software to generate chi-squares, correlations, percentages, tables and figures. The mean score for social media platform usage in food availability activities was 202 (54.6); Mean score for social media platform usage in food accessibility activities was 141(38.2); Mean score for social media platform usage in food utilization activities was 188(50.8) while Mean score for social media platform usage in food stability activities was 183(49.6). While the overall mean score on social media platform usage on food security activities was 179(48.3), the majority329(89%) had a positive feeling that social media platform usage influenced food security. Household satisfaction in one social media platform activity was highly and significantly linked to satisfaction in other activities related to food security (p < 0.01 for all pairs). Households who were active users of social media platforms in seeking for food security, including posting content, interacting with others, and consuming information; and social media platforms in facilitating two-way communication and feedback between users on food security was (r = .866). The tendency to compare oneself to others on social media on matters related to food security, which could lead to feelings of inadequacy or dissatisfaction; and the way users perceived and processed food security information from social media, including the potential for misinformation and echo chambers were found to be highly significant at p-value=0.000. 296(80.0%) and 276(74.6%) of the households observed that high cost of internet and high cost of phones and other social media gadgets respectively were major challenges. The study recommends that social media platforms usage should be enhanced to promote food security at the household level. Therefore, all stakeholders and sectors in food security should consider utilizing social media platforms for food security by addressing affordability and usage challenges, providing conducive environment through mainstreaming social media and food security policies, laws and plans at the sub-county level.