In the midst of an ever-changing world that we inhabit today, many facets that were once viewed as ‘intruding’, ‘alien’, or utter anomalies, have turned into integral linchpins of our day-to-day lives, and without them, the modern dynamics of human essence are portrayed as incompetent. Amongst those pivotal factors are the emergence of the Internet, social media platforms, and the inevitable ascendancy of the virtual world. That is, the perception of what is deemed incongruent is primarily dependent on how well one seems to utilize social media, as it is the cutting edge of the contemporary means of social evolution. Indeed, the conception of social engagement has become completely novel nowadays from what it was in the past, and despite the fact that communication has been altered to fit ‘electronic screens’, it has facilitated the mechanisms of communication in a way that is simply undeniable. Howbeit, on the other hand, this cacophony of interactive tools has created one of the virtual world’s most obstreperous dogmas, that is, social media addiction. The rapid changes in external methods of communication have contributed to the stripping of our innate roots of ordeal human communication and thus completely remolded our behaviors in a whirlwind of what seemed like a revolutionary momentum. That is, socialization and the formation of both individual identity and communal solidarity are essentially centered around our online practices, where the dependencies of such shift in communication transmit further into the entirety of our beings and seep into our subconsciousness. Thus, among the notions of social media’s intermingling with human intellect, is the deployment of emotional intelligence (EI) in dealing with social media addiction. Formulating the crux to this research, this paper seeks to shed light on the role of EI in either dampening or arousing the desires of obsessive social media use, especially since there is a major dearth of studies that observe the crucialness of EI management in controlling addictive behaviors on various social media platforms. Through the use of a quantitative research approach, this study examined the role of several motivations for social media use, namely, entertainment, communication, self-expression, and relationship maintenance, in moderating the relationship between EI and social media addiction. This was achieved by distributing questionnaires to 400 participants aged between 18 and 25 in the Kampala Region of Uganda, using a random sampling method. Findings elucidated that EI is negatively correlated to social media addiction, implying that a higher level of EI translates to a lower desire for social media addiction and vice versa, while all four motivations for social media use were significantly correlated with social media addiction. Furthermore, results conveyed that entertainment and relationship management are amongst the top stimulating mediators for the relationship between EI and social media addiction. However, this also implies that if individuals have low levels of EI, it does not necessarily guarantee that they will most likely adopt pathological social media behaviors, simply because the motivations for using such online platforms critically vary from one individual to the other, while also simultaneously keeping an analytical eye on the role of freewill in promulgating this dilemma in possible future research.

This study aimed at furthering the research on the relationship between social communication apprehension, self-esteem and Facebook addiction. To measure the three variables, a questionnaire comprised of The Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24), The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RES), and The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) was administered to 654 university students in Uganda. Pearson’s correlation analysis and multiple linear regression coefficient analysis were carried out. A positive significant relationship between communication apprehension and Facebook addiction and a negative significant relationship between self-esteem and Facebook addiction were reported. Findings further revealed that self-esteem and communication apprehension significantly predicted Facebook addiction.

Nigeria is once again in the news, not for the nation’s problems with the terrorist group Boko Haram, nor our mirage of economic problems plaguing Nigeria; rather we are attracting the attention of the world because we are on the verge of another major election in the country. An election that might see a change in leadership, thereby removing President Goodluck Jonathan from Aso Rock Villa, or one that might win him a mandate to remain for another four years as president of one of the richest countries in Africa. This election holds a lot of meaning for Nigerians, and for Africa generally, due to the fact that there has been an incessant call for change of leadership or leadership style as the incumbent has maintained a seemingly lackadaisical attitude in the face of rampant corruption and Boko Haram’s continued reign of unabated terror on Nigerians in the north. Both foreign media and local media alike have reported numerous bombings, killings and corruption cases in Nigeria as well as having shown keen interest in the outcome of the next general election in Nigeria. On November 11, 2014, President Jonathan declared his intention to run for re-election come February 2015. This declaration has elicited different responses from different media outlets all over the world as there has been some doubt about the President’s intention to run. This paper examines both Western and indigenously owned media depictions of this declaration. The author has made use of Van Dijk’s Social Ideological Discourse Theory and Ideological Square Theory. It was found that although both news articles reported on the same issue, they are still very different with regard to macropropositions and Local meanings. The ideology and personal perception of the writers is reflected clearly in the way the news articles are written. Keywords: Discourse analysis, ideological square, semantics, macrostructures, macroproposition and superstructure, Nigeria elections 2015.

A review of literature suggests that very few studies have examined how selection, deletion and inclusion of comments in news articles affect audience perception of news credibility, newsworthiness and trustworthiness. Using an experimental methodology, this study seeks to understand how journalistic use of UGCs influences audience perception of news credibility, newsworthiness and trustworthiness. The study also sought to espouse on the two-step flow theory and its relevance to online media; with particular reference to news selection. Four hundred participants from selected Nigerian universities constitute the sample of this study and the findings showed that comments use influenced audience perception of news credibility, newsworthiness and trustworthiness. Also, the findings lent credence to developing research that seeks to prove that the two-step flow story is relevant to online media. The findings of this study showed evidence of the two-step flow of information.

Objective: This article explored how teachers were supported for continued professional growth and on their general well-being before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experiences of teachers of private schools in Semi-Urban districts during COVID-19 Wave 1&2 lockdown in Uganda are explored. It assess professional growth aspects and their well-being before and during closure of education institutions. The study illustrates challenges experienced by the teachers as well as coping strategies adopted. Methods: In-depth individual interviews, and key informant interviews were employed. At the time of reaching saturation, one hundred and three private secondary school teachers had been interviewed; eight key informants that were head teachers of selected private schools. Data was analyzed using the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Results: Teachers’ professional growth is in limbo after suffocation during the COVID-19 given longtime school closures with inability of private schools to earn from their clientele. The well-being of teachers is wanting. Many teachers ought not return to teaching and are engaged in various trades for a living. Conclusion: Teachers of private academic institutions contribute to government’s effort in providing quality education. Exploring their experiences during emergencies such as the current COVID-19 pandemic informs stakeholders in education on how to deal with their professional growth and general well-being. Conclusion: Teachers of private academic institutions contribute to government’s effort in providing quality education. Exploring their experiences during emergencies such as the current COVID-19 pandemic informs stakeholders in education on how to deal with their professional growth and general well-being.