Authors : Charity Chinelo Okide, Uzoamaka Lucynda Koledoye, Felicia Mbagwu, Chioma Osilike, Nkechi Mercy Okeke, Nwakaego Ebele Ekwealor and Kingsley Ugochukwu
Abstract: Online media serves as relevant tools for understanding a community and mobilizing community members for health, education and business promotion activities. New research literature has brought increased attention to the role that social media networks can play in community development and engagement. The emergence of electronic online media has diversified the ways in which community can be formed and engaged. In this study, we looked at how online media tools such as social networks can be harnessed for community development while maintaining synergy between community development experts and community members as well as among community members. Social media and networking while having challenges can also provide a relatively simple, free and ubiquitous method of communicating, sharing of information and involvement of a diverse constituency in community development efforts. Continued work in this area must progress to ensure these tools remain easy to use and understandable to community development experts. The use of online media has great potential to transform community development discipline in ways that are likely unanticipated.
Charity Chinelo Okide, Uzoamaka Lucynda Koledoye, Felicia Mbagwu, Chioma Osilike, Nkechi Mercy Okeke, Nwakaego Ebele Ekwealor and Kingsley Ugochukwu, 2019. Benefits of Online Media in Community Development and Community Engagement. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 14: 5385-5390.