Cyber Security Awareness and Social Media Behavior among Nigerian Youths: Implications for Socio-Economic Development

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of social media platforms among Nigerian youths has coincided with an alarming rise in cyber threats, cybercrime, and digital vulnerability, presenting significant challenges to socio-economic development. This paper employs a PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) systematic review methodology to synthesize literature published between 2020 and 2026 on cybersecurity awareness and social media behavior among Nigerian youths and their collective implications for national development. A total of forty-two (42) peer-reviewed studies, policy reports, and empirical works were identified and reviewed following a structured search across multiple academic databases, with quality appraisal conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Findings reveal a persistent deficit in cybersecurity literacy among Nigerian youths, manifested through risky online behaviors including oversharing of personal data, susceptibility to phishing, engagement in cyberbullying, and uncritical consumption of misinformation. These behaviors undermine digital trust, discourage e-commerce adoption, and threaten financial systems, thereby retarding socio-economic progress. The review further identifies institutional weaknesses in digital education policy, inadequate regulatory enforcement, and socio-cultural factors as key mediating variables. The paper recommends the integration of cybersecurity education into formal curricula, strengthened regulatory frameworks, and targeted youth-oriented digital literacy campaigns as pathways to harnessing social media for sustainable socio-economic advancement in Nigeria.