Digital Media and its Developmental Role from the Perspective of Basra University Students

Abstract

The study aims to identify the areas of interest of students about their use of digital media and any field that helped them to gain more information and the degree of their confidence in these information. As well as the study identifies the degree that Basra University students use digital media in development and awareness enhancement . The importance of the study occurs on the role of digital media in development and in all its economic, political, cultural, social and scientific aspects, as well as the impact of using digital media on shaping students’ opinions about these aspects. The entire study consisted of (44,367) students of Basra University, and a random sample of 225 individuals were selected. The researcher followed the documentary approach in the theoretical aspect of the study and the survey approach in the practical aspect. The researcher reached a number of results and the most important:

1- the results of the study showed that majority of students use digital media for the purpose of awareness and development, with a percentage of 63.3% of the total study sample, while the percentage of those who use them sometimes was 28% while the percentage of individuals who do not use this media is 9% .

2- The impact of using digital media on shaping public opinion on subjects and issues affected 81.8% of the students in the study sample, while it did not affect 18.2% of them.

The most important recommendations :

 1- Those in charge of the Iraqi media should take advantage of the Internet and social media, as they are the most used by individuals, by creating developmental and creative programs and providing intellectual and cognitive content directed towards the youth group.

2-The necessity of working to make digital media focusing more in the development of young people in all fields and providing solutions to issues and problems and not limiting their importance to a reflection of reality in society.