The Influence of Social Media Usage and Ethnic Diversity on Intergroup Prejudice and Prosocial Behavior in West African Urban Communities

Abstract This study examined the influence of social media engagement and ethnic diversity exposure on intergroup prejudice and prosocial behavior among urban youth in West Africa. Drawing on intergroup contact, social identity, and intergroup threat theories, the research investigated direct, moderated, and mediated pathways linking digital interactions and real-world diversity to out-group attitudes and cooperative tendencies in ethnically heterogeneous cities. A multi-stage sample of 767 youth aged 18–30 from Lagos (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), and Banjul (The Gambia) completed validated measures of social media use integration, perceived ethnic diversity, intergroup attitudes, prosocial behavior, perceived threat, and contact frequency. Hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling revealed that both social media engagement and ethnic diversity exposure were positively associated with more favorable out-group attitudes and higher prosocial behavior, with diversity exposure showing stronger effects. Ethnic diversity did not moderate the social media outcome relationships. Perceived threat functioned as a suppressor mediator, partially offsetting the positive direct effects of social media engagement, while contact frequency mediated diversity effects but in a negative direction, underscoring the importance of contact quality over mere frequency. Parallel mediation confirmed threat as the dominant pathway for social media effects. These findings highlight the dual-edged role of digital platforms and the primacy of everyday diversity exposure in promoting intergroup harmony in rapidly urbanizing West African contexts, while cautioning against excessive social media attachment and low-quality contact. The results advance regionally grounded evidence on intergroup dynamics and inform interventions that leverage both offline diversity and mindful digital engagement.