The impact of social media platforms on the career development of accounting students in business education in Ogun State.
Abstract
The growing influence of social media platforms has redefined how individuals connect, share information, and explore professional opportunities. This study investigates the impact of social media platforms on the career development of Accounting students of Business Education in Ogun State. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to selected Accounting students of Business Education. The population of this study comprised all 7471 Business Education (Accounting) students in Ogun State. A sample of 1205 respondents was selected for the study using simple random sampling. Two research questionnaires were used to generate data for the study: the Social Media Platform Questionnaire (SMPQ) and the Career Development Questionnaire (CDQ). The findings revealed that social media platforms significantly contribute to students' awareness of career opportunities, personal branding, and employability skills. Specifically, TikTok had a significant influence on the career development of Accounting Students in Ogun State (β = 6.28, t = 2.826, p < 0.05). Also, WhatsApp had a significant effect on the dependent variable (β = 4.71, t = 9.734, p ˂ 0.05); Facebook had a moderate effect on the career development of the targeted respondents (β = 3.08, t = 2.245, p ˂ 0.05). In the same vein, YouTube predict career development (β = 4.19, t = 3.198, p ˂ 0.05). Also, there is a significant composite influence F (4, 1200) = 615.73, p < 0.05) of TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube on the career development of Accounting students in Business Education in Ogun State. The study concludes that while social media catalyses career development, its benefits can be maximised only when students are guided toward purposeful and professional use. It recommends that educators and career counsellors should integrate digital literacy and responsible social media usage into the curriculum to help undergraduates harness the full potential of these platforms for their future careers.
