THE UTILIZATION OF INTERNET SERVICES AMONG STUDENTS IN FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS (A CASE STUDY IN KADUNA STATE)
ABSTRACT
The research provides an assessment of the utilization of internet services among students in federal institution in Kaduna State. It provides a conceptual and theoretical appraisal of the nature, challenges and significance of internet services. The study typify the importance of internet service and the various dimensional usage by students in higher institution of learning. The case appraisal depicts the patronage of internet services by students of Federal Institution In Kaduna State.
INTRODUCTION
The convergence of information and communication technologies as typified by the Internet is increasingly having more influence on all aspects of the society as it has become an integral part of the
daily lives of many people. It has had a transformative impact on the mode of information sharing and access globally. Information and knowledge disseminated through the slow process of oral communications or with paper materials can now be transferred rapidly from an individual to an infinite number of users through a number of media and formats. The Internet is the fastest growing communication technology and has emerged as a major source of information that connects people, data and other computers, reducing the world to the much talked-about global village. Bane and Milhemi (1995) described the Internet as the premier networks, everyone connected or as unmanaged web of computer plasma. Technically and functionally, Hargittai (1999) defined the Internet as a worldwide network of computers, and a network of people using computers that make vast amounts of information available. Amichai-Hamburger and Hayat (2010) described the Internet as the creation of a continuous stream of computers linked together to form one grid, which enables interaction among hundreds of millions of people browsing the net.
Whereas the television revolution reached 50 million viewers in 13 years, the same feat was attained in only four years by the Internet (Molosi, 2001). Yunus and Khayal (2000) posited that if there is only one force that is transforming people’s lives and that holds promise to deliver tumultuos impact in the future, it is Internet. To underscore the increasing reliance on the Internet, Huttner (2007) posited that without the Internet, planes would not fly, financial markets would not operate, supermarkets would not restock, taxes would not get paid and the power grid would not balance the supply and demand for electricity. Aqil and
Ahmad (2011) averred that the Internet places information on our finger tips and that it is everywhere, knocking at our door, making our life easy and smooth.
