EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ON INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES

The effect of social media platforms on interpersonal relationships among undergraduate students of Chrisland and Crescent Universities in Nigeria, With the increasing integration of digital communication tools into students’ academic and social lives has continued to elicit research interest. This research investigated how platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, and others influence peer interaction, emotional connection, trust, and conflict resolution, with a view to examining social media platforms commonly used by undergraduates, determining the level of undergraduate interpersonal relationship, Identifying the effect of social media on undergraduate interpersonal relationship and examining the impact of social media platforms on trust and closeness in interpersonal interactions among undergraduate students. Uses and Gratifications by Elihu Katz, Jay Blumler and Mchael Gurevitch and Media dependency by Sandra Bll-roacheach and Melvin DeFleur served as the framework. Mixed-method was employed, combining quantitative data elicited from 348 valid online survey responses purposively selected and qualitative data from focus group discussions (FGDs) from both institutions. Data were subjected to analysis using descriptive statistics: frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, and thematic analysis. Majority of students spent between 4 and 6 hours daily on social media, with entertainment being the leading motive for usage (44.3%). TikTok, WhatsApp, and Instagram were identified as the most frequently used platforms. Over half (53.7%) of respondents reported that social media strengthened their relationships with peers; a significant number (60%) acknowledged that misunderstandings arising from digital interactions often reduced trust. Students expressed that while social media facilitates connection and convenience, it also contributes to emotional distance, misinterpretation, and reduced authenticity in relationships. The promoting of digital literacy, incorporation of social media etiquette into university curricula, encouragement of offline interactions and provision of institutional counselling to support healthy relationship development are critical in enhancing healthy social media engagement and communication. Keywords: Social media, Social media platforms, Interpersonal relationship, Performance Word count: 295