Usage preferences and constraints in the adoption of social media for agricultural extension among rural youth in satna district, Madhya Pradesh

Introduction

India with a population of 1.46 billion stands as the world's second most populated country, the 7th largest country in the world with a land area of 3.288 million Km. India currently ranks fourth place in the world's economy. Agriculture serves as a major source of livelihood for 58% of the Indian population with 146.45 million operational holdings in the country. Agriculture contributed 18-19% (2023-24) to the Gross Domestic Product of the country. Agricultural growth has a significant relationship with the reduction in poverty and malnutrition (Broca and Stamoulis, 2003) [2] . Challenges to be faced by agriculture within the next upcoming years are sustaining food security and nutritional security, adaptation to climate change, and sustainable utilization of natural resources like water, energy, and land. To face these upcoming challenges of the longer term, agricultural research, education, and extension are the foremost crucial factors. ICT may also be described as a fusion of many different technologies, such as audio-visual and telecommunications networks, with computer networks, all of which are connected by a single cabling system (which includes signal www.extensionjournal.com transmission and management) or a communication system. This ICT will help the present extension workers to extend their reach of farmers in a very short period with accurate audio-visual information that reduces the communication gap and increases the credibility of the data by making it available at the correct place, right time, and right information. Digitalizing agro advisory services may be a two-way approach. The adoption of ICT must be pursued both by extension agents and farmers. ICT interventions have received encouragement from the Indian Ministry of Agriculture (ICAR, 2016). ICT tools are relatively easy to use and gaining popularity within the agriculture sector (Saravanan and Bhattacharjee, 2013) [7] . There is a need to embrace modern ICT technologies such as computers, feature phones, internet-based resources such as web portals, smartphones, and social media, as demand-driven and participatory approaches are considered a very important aspect for expanding accountability and transparency of agricultural extension. The old and traditional ICTs like radio, television, telephone, etc. have little scope of user involvement and participation, it only tends toward a one-way flow of data, where a farmer user must wait for the recommendation of the extension agents, whereas the foremost participative and democratic tools of data sharing are social media tools. Social media makes users active participants and enables them to raise real-time issues. It is estimated that about fifty-nine% of the world, that is 4.57 billion people, are active internet users. in the world. The global online penetration rate was 59%. Combined with low data rates, increasing digitalization efforts have allowed around 462 million individuals across India to use internet services. There are 250 million active social media users with 82% penetration on YouTube and 76% on Facebook. The leading site in 2019 is YouTube. Having more than 534 million users in 2024, India had the world's second-largest internet population and out of those, 390 million users use the internet services via their cell phones. Estimates indicate that by 2024 this number will reach more than 500 million.(Statista.2021) [9] All these tools are often used for sharing and discussing information where they permit participatory and democratic potentialities which may be employed in the method of social change. It allows us to make sound opinions and build good social relationships. India is a large nation with distinct regional differences in agro-climatic conditions, resource abundance, and population density. India has its poverty largely in rural; three out of every four poor people live in rural areas. Indian agriculture is facing many new challenges both at the operational level and policy level due to increasing population, the limited availability of land and water, and the degradation of natural resources, and climate change. New trade opportunities (and threats) in overseas markets have presented Indian farmers with a new challenge. Agricultural advisory services (in the government as well as private sector) play a major role in supporting farmers in dealing with the above challenges. Knowledge gaps lead to yield gaps. Agricultural extension plays a major role in making farmers competent decision-makers by teaching them and formulating and disseminating knowledge. Extension service delivery must be cost-effective and identify farmers' roles in innovation (Anderson, 2007) [1] .

The major concept that emerged behind extension delivery services is farmer involvement in the development and dissemination of technology. Extension services are difficult to deliver well because farmers are widely scattered and difficult to access, and their knowledge needs differ greatly. Big farmers would probably profit significantly. Since there aren't enough extension agents, they may struggle 6 with motivation, competence, success, and accountability (Anderson, 2007) [1] . In developing countries, traditional extension services face many challenges which are limiting their effectiveness in extension service delivery. Visiting remote areas is more difficult and expensive due to poor infrastructure. As a result, many extension programs only provide farmers with one-time information, reducing their long-term impacts. To deal with the above challenges, Information Communication Technology, and innovations in new social media platforms which provide two-way continuous communication and feedback play a major role. Social media has completely changed and revolutionized communication worldwide. Smallholders' access to timely extension information can be enhanced by utilizing social media which has the potential to reduce the cost of direct visits and lead to two-way communication between clients and extension agents which will increase the accountability of the services provided. Social media also improves access to private information via online communities, allowing for peer-to-peer learning, which is critical for technological adoption. Social media can increase the flow of appropriate information among farmers, extension agents, and research institutions by enhancing connectivity between them. The variability of delivery systems, such as one-way versus two-way communication between farmers and professionals, text over voice messaging, and oral description of difficulties over photographs acquired in the ground, is highlighted in an analysis of the role of social media in agricultural extension. Social media utilization by extension agents may also show an impact on professional development. Usage of social media by extension agents for personal use is popular, but the utilization of social media to disseminate information by extension agents at the individual and organizational level is still limited, mainly due to lack of knowledge (Rhoades and Aue, 2010) [6] . It has a great deal to do with attitude than with age. Social media is a highly appropriate and valuable tool for extension agents to communicate with their clients and colleagues because of these potentials. Farmers' lack of connectivity has long been highlighted as a fundamental flaw in advisory services, and social media provides numerous chances to address this problem. Personal (absence of interest in social media, negative attitude, or organizational constraints), infrastructure (nonexistence of internet connections for target clients or extension agents), and policy (organizational rules that confine the use of social media for official reasons) inadequacies obstruct the social media usage. With problems including restricted access to ICTs and internet facilities in rural regions, their compatibility for mainly educated and online clients, certain farmers' and extension experts' lack of awareness and willingness to use social media, and infringement of individual privacy, piracy of resources, and irrelevant information, the success of social media is determined by extension agents' and 7 community members' motivation to utilize it in extension (Raj and Bhattacharjee, 2017) [5] . Since extension agents are on the front lines of the dissemination of information, it is critical to include their viewpoints on the use of social media in transmitting the information. Examining the usage trend and establishing strategies and rules to make social media an essential component of the dissemination of agricultural information are key first steps in determining which social media platforms are often used.

Research Methodology

Background information about the study area Selection of State: Madhya Pradesh was selected purposively because it has the largest forest area in the country and has the greatest number of national parks with human settlements being closely confined to the forests and agriculture being the backbone of the economy, Madhya Pradesh has won "Krishi Karman" award for seven consecutive years. M.P stands 1 st in total pulses production and 2 nd in total food grains production. Madhya Pradesh ranks as the third-largest milk producer in India. The per capita availability of milk for the year 2020-21 is about 591 grams per person per day. The state also excels in oilseed production, contributing around 27% to india's total output. Kadaknath chicken production is a significant industry in Madhya Pradesh, with the breed being native to the state's western region, particularly in the district "jhabua & dhar". These chickens are known for their black meat, brown egg, and high protein content 25.47%, and hens lay around 100-120 eggs per year, each egg weighing 40-45 grams. The composite index value ranges from 0 to 1. The obtained index values were categorized into three groups viz low, medium, high based on a range of values obtained. Further correlation analysis was done to find the association between independent variables with their extent of usefulness of messages to farmers. Social media has become a highly popular means of communication in India. Given its vast reach and influence, traditional methods alone are no longer sufficient for staying relevant in today's fast-changing world. Agriculture has now evolved into a business-oriented enterprise, making it essential for rural youth to access up-to-date information on the latest research, new crop varieties, proper fertilizer usage, and advanced irrigation methods. To effectively utilize various social media platforms, rural youth should explore multiple communication channels to access agricultural information. The effectiveness of any program can be truly assessed by how the audience perceives it and the practical value it provides. Therefore, it becomes important to examine how extensively farmers are using social media.

Constraints in the usage of social media by rural youth:

Constraints in the usage of social media by rural youth: To determine the most significant constraint that has an impact on the respondent. Garrett's ranking method was employed. According to this method, respondents were asked to rank all limitations, and the result of that ranking was then transformed into a score value using the formula below. % Position = 100*(Rij-0.5)/Nj Where,  Rij= Rank given for ith constraint by jth individual  Nj= number of constraints ranked by j th individual The% position of each rank was converted into scores referring to the table given by Garett and Woodworth (1969). For each constraint, the scores of individual respondents were added together, and then the total value of scores and mean values of the score were calculated. These mean scores for all the constraints were arranged in descending order, ranks were given and the most important constraints were identified. The constraints having mean value were considered to be the most important constraints. The data in Table 2 presents the classification of rural youth based on the level of usefulness of messages received through social media. Out of the 120 respondents, half (50%) felt that the messages shared through social media were of medium usefulness, while 29.17% found the messages to be highly useful for their farming needs. On the other hand, 20.83% of the farmers perceived the usefulness of such messages as low. This result indicates that, for most farmers, social media acts as a moderately helpful source of agricultural information, but there is still scope to make these messages more practical, relevant, and action-oriented to reach more farmers at a higher usefulness level. These findings are consistent with earlier studies reported by Saravanan R., et al. (2013) [7] . www.extensionjournal.com 2010) [6] . The classification in Table 4.8.4 shows how rural youth perceived the understandability of information shared through social media. Out of 120 respondents, 34.17% rated the information as easy to understand, while 26.67% found it understandable, and 25% considered it very easy, indicating that the majority could follow the messages without major difficulty. However, 12.50% said the information was difficult to grasp, and a small portion (1.67%) found it very difficult. These findings highlight that while most rural youth find social media content clear and usable for agricultural purposes, there is still a need to simplify language, visuals, or technical terms to ensure that all youth, regardless of education level, can benefit equally from the shared information. The results in the table show how rural youth perceive the benefits of social media across different areas of their lives. Technological Development was ranked first with the highest total score of 285, showing that a majority (65%) felt social media has significantly increased their exposure to new technologies and digital tools, while only a few (5.83%) felt it had decreased. Personal Development came next with a score of 280 (Rank II), indicating that most youth (62.50%) believed social media contributed positively to their skills, awareness, and confidence levels, with only a small share (8.33%) feeling no benefit. Farm Development was placed third with a score of 275, where about 58.33% agreed that social media helped improve their farming practices and knowledge sharing, while a third reported no major change. Social Development followed closely at Rank IV (score 270), showing that over half the respondents (54.17%) found social media useful for expanding networks and maintaining social contacts in the farming community. Lastly, Economic Development ranked fifth with a score of 272, with 56.67% of youth stating that social media helped them access market information, selling opportunities, or income ideas. Overall, this distribution highlights that rural youth find social media most valuable for enhancing their technological know-how and personal growth, with slightly lower yet notable benefits for social ties, farm management, and economic improvement, demonstrating its diverse role as a support tool in rural development. These findings are consistent with earlier studies reported by Suchiradipta, B.,E.,et al.( 2016) [8] . [4] Communication barriers The ranking of communication barriers in Table 1. Overall, these results point out that improving awareness, ensuring regular updates, using local languages, encouraging interactive exchanges, and providing clear, verified content could help tackle these communication barriers and make social media a stronger tool for agricultural development among rural youth. These findings are consistent with earlier studies reported by Verma.

Results and Discussion

Purpose of accessing social media

Understandability of information

Perceived benefits of social media on rural youth

Constraints in the usage of social media by rural youth in agricultural extension service delivery

Conclusion

In addition, the study examined the specific categories of content that attracted frequent attention from youth. Imagebased and video-based content were overwhelmingly preferred over audio and text formats, confirming the importance of visual communication in enhancing understanding and engagement. Similarly, purposes for accessing social media extended beyond technical agriculture to include information on government schemes, training events, and marketing avenues, underscoring its multifaceted role. The frequent use of mobile phones for real-time agricultural information demonstrates that rural youth view digital tools as essential rather than optional in their farming journey. The study discovered numerous technological and physical obstacles that hinder rural youth from utilizing social media for agricultural purposes. The worst technical problem was low digital literacy, which got a Garrett Mean Score of 61.25. Next came unreliable mobile network connectivity (57.80) and not being able to get the most up-to-date information (54.35). These problems are made worse by the high costs of cellphones and data (50.20), the fact that people don't know where to find reliable sources (46.75), and the fact that there aren't many easy-to-use materials (40.10). The lack of reliable electricity was the biggest physical barrier, with a score of 62.80. This shows that it's often hard to get online when the power goes out. The next things were the high cost of smart devices (58.45), the poor network coverage (55.30), the fact that devices break down often (50.60), and the fact that there aren't many places to get repairs (45.75). A big worry was that families would share devices (41.20), which made it hard for people to always have access to digital tools. It was also hard for social media to work well in agricultural extension because of problems with communication. The biggest problem was that people didn't know enough about the platforms that were available (62.50), which showed that they didn't know how to use the digital world. Other big problems that made it hard to get the information were not getting updates from sources on time (59.80), language barriers in the content (55.60), and not having interactive forums (52.40). People were less likely to take part because it was hard to check the accuracy of information (48.90), specialists didn't respond enough (44.30), and people couldn't talk to each other enough (42.10). The unclear instructions in shared communications (38.50) made digital content even less useful. These results show that rural teens need full digital literacy programs, content in their own languages, interactive communication tools, and cheap access to internet infrastructure in order to use social media to improve farming.

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