Does whatsapp use by female students ruin their morality? The case of junior high school students in Cape Coast Metropolitan, Ghana.

Abstract

Many different social media platforms exist today. Some are, but not limited to Facebook, Flicker, Twitter, Instagram, Badoo, Skype, and Whatsapp. Of these applications, research has proven that majority of the world’s population patronize the Whatsapp messenger more than the other apps. Secondly, students are noted to be the main patronisers. Nonetheless, since research has proven that students are the main subscribers to Whatsapp use globally, there is the need to examine the effects associated with its use. In this regard, the question the paper raises is, does Whatsapp use by JHS female students ruin their morality or moral life? The findings of the paper inform its conclusion that the use of Whatsapp by Junior High School female students negatively affects their morality/moral foundations. This is because the paper revealed that about 90% of the Junior High School female students who use Whatsapp mostly exchange pornographic materials, abusive contents and engage in unhealthy acts (e.g. phone sex) with their peers who are online. The consumption of these contents has introduced them to the practice of some social vices of which they were naïve about before their contact with the app